Leo Will Never Know
by HiroLemonFan
Summary: In an alternate timeline, Yugi indirectly prevented the events of Arc-V from ever happening. But how could this small change have an impact on a few selected people? A spin-off of the Arc-V Aftermath series. Based on the hilarious comic by Justanotherotakuandartist on Tumblr. Co-written with Violetganache42 on Tumblr.
1. A Butterfly's Wings

Leo Corporation. A gaming company that specializes in a popular card game called Duel Monsters, which was created by Maximillion Pegasus. The CEO of the company was none other than Leo Akaba, father of his daughter Ray. As a young girl, she was always ambitious and strong-willed while also deeply cared about him, having high hopes for his future…until that one fateful day.

An employee had already informed Leo of some tragic news that occurred. He called Ray into his office, worrying about how it'll affect her. Once she entered, she asked if everything was okay upon seeing his dismayed face. He broke the news about how his meeting with Seto Kaiba was abruptly cancelled, shocking and upsetting her.

"What?!" Ray asked. "How come?!"

"It appears Mr. Kaiba has mysteriously fallen ill," Leo explained. "But not to worry. Hopefully he will come to his senses soon. I really do think adding mass to the current Solid Vision technology will make the basic card game far more exciting than it already is."

"I hope so," the young girl said, sounding a bit sad. "I really want to take part in these Action Duels."

"And you will," Leo said reassuringly. "It will just be a bit delayed."

Several days after the unexpected cancellation was made, Kaiba visited the company to talk to Leo about something, surprising the latter. He had recently returned from a tournament to take care of personal business with Pegasus, so after that whole fiasco was dealt with, conversing with Leo Corporation's CEO was the first thing that came to his mind.

"I thought about what you said about adding mass to Solid Vision," Kaiba informed. "And I came to the conclusion that it's a stupid idea."

"What?" Leo asked. "But you said-"

"Forget what I initially said," Kaiba interrupted. "If you add mass to Solid Vision, what's next? The holograms become sentient and destroy the world?"

"Sir, I don't understand what you mean," Leo said.

"I have undergone a series of rather unexplainable events due to malfunctions in the current system," Kaiba explained. "And I realized that your ideas could doom the world to destruction. So I would advise you to stay out of the dueling business for the sake of everyone on Earth."

Ray overheard the entire conversation between the two CEOs when she noticed Kaiba heading towards his office a couple minutes earlier. She had secretly followed him until he entered through the office's double doors; one of them was left partially open, unfortunately allowing her to hear the world-shattering news. She was left in total disbelief after their talk had ended, turning around to lean against the door to process what happened. Kaiba walked out of the office to head to his limo and return to his company, KaibaCorp, not noticing the disquieted girl on his way out. The moment he turned the corner and disappeared from the hallway, she immediately got up and ran into Leo's office, completely heartbroken about how the deal was officially shot down.

"What are we going to do now?" Ray asked, hugging her father tightly as she sobbed.

"Don't worry, Ray," Leo said. "We're Akabas, and Akabas never give up. We'll find a way to make Action Duels a reality."

Sadly, Action Duels never became a reality as it soon became a forgotten fantasy. One day, news went all around Domino City on the newest craze from KaibaCorp: Duel Disks. They became immensely popular at a rapid rate among Duelists that it left Leo Corporation in the shadows to eventually crumble and fall. Because of the Duel Disks' success, Leo and Ray soon lost the company due to bankruptcy. They struggled to avoid living the rest of their lives in poverty, forcing the young girl to sell all her cards to make some money; she even might have ended up with the possibility of cutting and selling her hair as well. Whatever tactic she resorted to, it was all for one purpose: to make her father happy again. She was willing to give her title as a Duelist up just so they can be closer to living normal lives.

Fortunately Leo recently managed to find a stable job within Domino City that had a good minimum wage during the week before the upcoming Battle City tournament began. Ray got super excited because it means he'll be able to save enough money to buy a house for the two of them. It didn't matter to her if the Akaba family name was overlooked by the general dueling public; as long as they pull through this conflict, that's all that matters to her.

"I'm so sorry we had to go through this," Leo said, realizing his daughter gave up her dreams for the sake of happiness. "Maybe some day we'll be able to afford cards for you."

But Ray shook her head, her now-shoulder-length hair moving slightly. "What matters is us rebuilding our future," she decided. "It's like what you said: Akabas never give up."

To Ray, family was what's important to her and always comes first in her jurisdiction. Not everyone is a Duelist and she is okay with that; she still loves the card game and will check out some duels when she wants to, but even her interest in Duel Monsters pales in comparison to the strong bond she has with Leo. She clearly remembered those words he told her several days ago was definite evidence on how they will stick together through any situation, regardless if it is worse than their current one or not.

Leo chuckled. "That's my girl," he happily said, ruffling his daughter's newly-cut hair.

A few days later, Battle City has begun. One of the first duels that initiated was between Yugi Muto, the King of Games, and someone named Seeker; he was one of the many Rare Hunters that are scattered all over Domino City to infiltrate the tournament as part of orders from their leader Marik Ishtar, who was unknown to everyone while his Rare Hunters were. As the duel progressed, a young boy was watching. He had side-parted hair with a silver color scheme with light green highlights. Many of you would recognize him as Zarc Nightstone from Timeline B, but due to the failed idea of Action Duels in the main timeline, he was still just called by his real name: Michael Lindonson. He wasn't taking part in Battle City because he doesn't want to wager his Odd-Eyes Dragon and end up losing him.

Michael looked at Odd-Eyes Dragon. "Don't worry, buddy," he said. "I'll make sure no one ever takes you away, not even those Rare Hunter creeps."

He continued watching the duel, holding Odd-Eyes in his hand. Seeker had just summoned Exodia's head, enabling Yugi to activate his Trap card Chain Destruction to destroy every copy of Exodia's head his opponent had in his deck and hand in order to prevent him from summoning Exodia the Forbidden One. He then played his face-down Dust Tornado to destroy Swords of Revealing Light. Once it was his turn, he used Monster Reborn to revive Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast in attack position and had it destroy the Head of Exodia that was on the field. Summoned Skull and Alpha the Magnet Warrior then attacked Seeker directly—with Alpha gaining 200 ATK during the Damage Step after Summoned Skull attacked—and reduced his LP down to 0, resulting in Yugi winning his first duel for Battle City and without losing any of his LP. Michael was amazed at what he witnessed and wanted to talk to him, but before he could, he saw that Seeker was acting weird, almost as if he was being mind controlled.

Michael looked at Odd-Eyes Dragon. "What's that?" he asked, holding the card up to his ear. "You're saying there's something evil going on? Like what?" He paused, then he smiled. "Then it's a good thing we're not in this tournament."

After Marik used Seeker to introduce himself to Yugi and his friend Joey Wheeler and declare he will be a pharaoh by taking some kind of puzzle and the three cards Michael never heard of, his mind-controlled puppet's body fell to the ground; either Seeker passed out or his soul was sent away to some kind of wasteland were all the lost souls wanted revenge. Regardless, after the two friends conversed with each other, Michael walked over to Yugi to talk to him.

"Can I help you?" Yugi asked.

"I… I heard what that creepy guy was saying," Michael said. "Odd-Eyes even told me he was sensing something evil. What's going on?"

"Odd-Eyes?" Yugi questioned.

"Yeah," Michael answered, showing Yugi the card. "I know he's not much, but some day, I'll get some friends for him so he won't feel lonely."

Yugi looked at the card. "I see," he said. "May I take a look at it?"

Michael handed his card to Yugi for him to see. Odd-Eyes Dragon was a Level 7 DARK monster with 2500 ATK and 2000 DEF. His effect allows him to inflict damage equal to half of the original ATK of an opponent's monster that was sent to the Graveyard. Aside from his effective stats, the tri-color-haired teen was more curious about how the young boy treated Odd-Eyes as if the card was real. Does he have some kind of unique ability that no one else had?

"You said this card was lonely," Yugi said, giving Odd-Eyes back to Michael. "Don't you have a deck?"

"Yeah, but it's a Magician and Sorcerer deck," Michael explained. "Odd-Eyes is the only dragon I have, but I want to get more dragons to keep him company."

Michael's deck consisted of regular effect Magicians and Sorcerers, so they don't really stand out. However, all their abilities worked well together with each other and with Odd-Eyes, leading him to his deck construction. He also mentioned on how he wasn't taking part in Battle City because he doesn't want to lose his favorite card, especially at the hands of Marik and the Rare Hunters.

"Odd-Eyes is special to me," the young boy explained. "I saw him in a display case at a card store and it felt like he was calling to me."

"So your dragon chose you instead of the other way around," Yugi realized.

"I guess you can say that," Michael said.

Yugi smiled softly. "You are different from other kids your age," he said. "But know this: never forget to follow your heart. If you continue to stick to what you believe in, you could end up becoming someone extraordinary."

Michael became starry-eyed after hearing these words of advice, almost as if this moment is what changed his life. "Thank you, sir!" he said, sounding too happy. "I'll never forget your advice!"

The next day, Michael was sitting at a park bench, analyzing the cards he currently has. He was determined to trust his instincts from now on after his encounter with Yugi. At the same time, Ray walked down the park's pathway; with her father working to buy a house, she figured she needed a quick walk after everything the two were going through. Her eyes caught a glimpse of the onion-haired boy, causing her to stop walking and turn her head to where he was sitting. She noticed he was scanning through his deck; she may not be a Duelist anymore, but she couldn't resist seeing someone who also enjoys Duel Monsters. She walked over to the bench with a double desire: she didn't to disturb him with what he was doing, but she also wanted to talk to him.

But Michael quickly noticed Ray. "Hi," he said. "Wanna duel?"

Ray looked a bit saddened. "I can't," she sadly admitted.

"Why not?" Michael asked.

"My dad lost the family company," Ray explained. "And in order to help him get enough money, I had to sell all my cards and…" She gently tugged on a lock of her shoulder-length hair.

This was an indicator to Michael that she used to have long hair, but she had to sell it to raise some money. She then explained how her dad recently found a job and how they will soon search for a house to live in and start living normal lives.

"So you gave up on being a Duelist just so your dad could have more money?" Michael asked.

Ray nodded in response. "But I'm not giving up," she said. "Akabas never give up!"

"Akaba…" Michael mused. Then his eyes widened. "So that's what happened to Leo Corporation!" he realized. "Those KaibaCorp Duel Disks must have put your dad out of business!"

"They did," Ray said. "We might have lost everything, but we're trying to improve ourselves."

"Don't you miss your cards?" Michael asked. "Didn't you hear them crying in pain?"

Ray paused what she was about to say after hearing those questions from Michael. She never knew monster cards had emotions…or maybe they really do emote and only a few can communicate with them. She asked what he meant by that and if he can tell how they were feeling.

"It's the reason why I didn't take part in Battle City," Michael explained, holding up Odd-Eyes Dragon. "I'm a good Duelist, but I would have risked losing Odd-Eyes forever, especially to those Rare Hunter creeps. He chose me for a reason, so I want him to stay by my side."

"So you can actually hear your cards speak to you?" Ray asked.

"Just Odd-Eyes," Michael clarified. "We have a special bond. Sure he doesn't fit with all my Magician and Sorcerer cards, but I'm gonna get more dragons so he'll have friends."

Ray was surprised and amazed at how distinct Michael is from the rest of the boys and how much he cares for his Odd-Eyes. She never thought she would encounter a special person in her life, even if she and Leo were in a slowly easing heat of the moment. Maybe they can get to know each other more and help him find some more dragons to include in his deck so that his favorite card won't feel lonely.

"I could help, but I'm not sure," Ray admitted. "My dad has been a bit protective of me ever since we lost the company. He doesn't want me to get hurt."

"It's okay," Michael said. "Your dad will never know." He held out his hand. "Michael Lindonson."

Ray looked at his hand before smiling and shaking it. "Ray Akaba," she said.

And from that moment on, Michael and Ray became friends. They spent the entire day hanging out with each other as they watched a couple Battle City duels and developed a powerful bond with each other throughout the next few days. It was even emphasized not long after the tournament was over when the Duel Monster Spirit World was forced opened into Earth by a mysterious new threat, causing the monsters to spill into the human world and all kinds of bizarre weather events to occur globally. During that time, Ray and Leo still haven't gotten enough money yet despite the work and hours her father was doing; then again, it was a job he was recently hired into, so it will take some time. However, they did save enough money for her to get a new deck that focuses on an archetype called Hope Dragon. She had a total of four aces—Hope Dragons Flower, Bird, Wind, and Moon, all with effects that can help her gain Life Points and select monster card zones on her opponent's field to prevent them from summoning their monsters.

"I activate Polymerization!" Ray declared. "And I'll use it to combine my four Hope Dragons to summon Hope Dragon Nature!"

She and Michael were in a tag team duel against two employees from Doma, an organization with the intention of capturing human souls with a Spell card called the Seal of Orichalcos. This threat was virtually life or death because the two kids can't afford to lose any duels as they risk their very souls to try and defeat the employees. Right now, Ray finished Fusion Summoning Hope Dragon Nature and was getting ready to activate her effect.

"I activate Hope Dragon Nature's special ability!" Ray announced. "All of your unoccupied monster card zones are blocked! And for every blocked zone, I regain 400 life points!"

Since she was referring to _her_ opponent, he only had three empty zones, which became blocked as she gained 1200 Life Points. She was then ready for her Battle Phase.

"What?!" the Doma employee asked. "How could you obtain that kind of card?!"

"Because I am an Akaba," Ray answered. "And Akabas never give up!"

"And we're doing this for my friend," Michael said, referring to Odd-Eyes Dragon. "He won't forgive anyone who brings harm to his home world!"

They could tell that Odd-Eyes was absolutely livid at Doma for putting the Duel Monster Spirit World in danger like that. Even if he now resides as a card on Earth, it was still his home and any threat that endangers it must be thwarted at all costs.

"But that's not all," Ray added. "I activate the Spell card Union Attack, allowing me to share my Battle Phase with my partner!"

Both Doma employees were shocked at the Spell card she used. They couldn't believe that something like that exists and it was bringing them one step closer to their defeat. Together, Ray and Michael declared their attacks.

"Feel the rage of my dragon!" Michael declared. "Spiral Flame Strike!"

"Natural Energy Bloom!" Ray added.

Odd-Eyes and Nature unleashed their signature attacks, with Ray destroying one of her opponent's monsters—the one in attack position was sent to the Graveyard while the other in defense position remained intact—and Michael wiping out the other employee's only monster. He then immediately followed it up by activating Odd-Eyes' effect.

"Now I activate Odd-Eyes Dragon's special ability!" Michael exclaimed. "You lose life points equal to half of the monster's attack points he just knocked out, which is enough to finish you off!"

Odd-Eyes directed another attack towards the Doma employee, bringing his LP down to 0. Due to the overwhelming power of the Seal of Orichalcos, it captured his soul and sent it back to Dartz's main organization, leaving his body to collapse on the ground.

"Don't celebrate yet," the remaining Doma employee said. "You've still got me."

"I know," Ray replied. "So hopefully this Hinotama card should be enough to finish you off as well."

Ray activated Hinotama, causing fireballs to rain down towards the other employee, draining his lingering Life Points and losing his soul to the Orichalcos. Both bodies laid on the ground, soulless and unconscious as the two kids were relieved to win this duel, but also horrified that they witnessed as something so scary as that.

"Are we doing the right thing?" Ray asked.

"We are," Michael answered. "Odd-Eyes' home is at risk. We need to protect it."

"But what if we end up losing?" Ray asked. "Could we lose our souls forever?"

"We'll be fine," Michael reassured. "And as long as we keep winning, your dad will never know what had happened."

Eventually, the Doma threat was vanquished and both worlds were now at peace, relaxing Odd-Eyes Dragon. About a decade later, almost one year before the King of Games' influential legacy began with a bisexual soon-to-be Slifer Red male teen, Ray and Michael were now 14 going on 15, with the young Akaba girl having her hair now past her shoulders. Leo has saved enough money to buy himself and his daughter a house, finally putting an end to their struggle with poverty.

On one peaceful evening, Michael and Ray were at the local park, excited about things to come. "I can't believe we're going to Duel Academy in a few days," Ray said. "What do you think the school is like?"

"I'm not sure," Michael admitted. "But I heard the training varies depending on the rank system."

"Rank system?" Ray asked.

"Yeah, Kaiba created them based on these powerful cards from Battle City," Michael explained. "The best Duelists are in Obelisk Blue, the second best Duelists are in Ra Yellow, and the third best Duelists are in Slifer Red."

Ray heard those three names before and guessed they were named after the rumored Egyptian God Cards. She became more certain about her assumption because she recalled hearing about Kaiba and Yugi's duel during Battle City when they summoned Obelisk the Tormentor and Slifer the Sky Dragon respectively. She then thought it was unfair that Obelisk Blue was ranked the highest and Slifer Red the lowest; she wondered just how egotistical the CEO was.

"Guess Kaiba is still bitter about Yugi defeating him," Ray commented.

"Probably," Michael agreed.

"But he definitely deserved that," Ray added. "That's what he gets for ruining my dad's business!"

Although Ray was glad that she and Leo now have a place to live in, she never forgave Kaiba for letting them go bankrupt. Speaking of which, she hasn't gotten a chance to figure out what her future will be since her main intention was to endure and help get out of poverty. She gave up her dreams of being a Duelist by selling her old cards and here she is right now, playing Duel Monsters once again and attending the first ever duel school with Michael. Her thoughts shifted topics and she started thinking about him and how much they have been through together.

"Michael… What are your dreams for the future?" Ray asked.

"Duh!" Michael replied. "I'm gonna be the World Duel King so I can keep the world entertained!"

"Entertained?" Ray asked.

"Yeah," Michael answered. "I'll do that by putting on performances as I duel."

"You don't care about winning?" Ray asked.

"Not really," Michael admitted. "As long as the crowd is entertained and smiling, that's a perfect victory for me."

Michael loved the thought of hosting Entertainment Duels and being what he called a professional Dueltainer. It made Ray remember the rejected concept of Action Duels due to the claim that monsters could gain emotions and cause an apocalypse. Her face then grew depressed because it was the true source of where she and her father were at and how much they suffered over the years. It was more upsetting to know that they would have been perfect for her friend to use to achieve his dream.

"I'm sorry," Ray said, sounding a bit hurt. "It sounds like those Action Duels would have been perfect for you. But now…" She let out a sob, being unable to speak.

Michael wiped a tear away from Ray's cheek. "Don't start crying on me," he said. "Sure I won't be able to interact with Odd-Eyes Dragon during duels, but I can still entertain the crowd through other methods."

Ray looked up at Michael's face after hearing him speak. There was only one type of duels and everyone has been doing these standard duels for a long time, whether it was a single match, a tag team, a 2-on-1, or even a battle royale. She was then reassured on how he knows there will be new methods introduced in the near future, making her pleased to know she had someone like him for a friend. …Or maybe more than a friend. Just then, the two leaned forward and locked lips with each other, sharing their very first kiss together.

Ultimately the two parted for air. Ray had a glazed look in her eyes, almost as if she enjoyed the kiss. But she quickly realized what just happened and she looked away, embarrassed. "I'm so sorry!" she said. "I don't know why I did that! I-"

Michael shushed Ray as he gave her a second kiss. "Don't worry," he said. "Besides, Duel Academy is on an island far away from here. Leo will never know."


	2. Star Students

A few days later, Michael and Ray went to a domed building to take their entrance exams and passed with flying colors. Upon heading to Duel Academy and Chancellor Sheppard introducing himself to the students, they learned what ranking they were based on the colors of their uniforms. Ray and Michael both got Obelisk Blue, much to her disappointment because now she has to wear a uniform that reminds her of Kaiba. They headed towards their dorms when they learned there are two dorms: one for boys and one for girls.

In the girls' dorm, as soon as Ray arrived in her room, she took off her uniform. It was a blue jacket that looked too much like one of the jackets Kaiba usually wears. She knew it was mandatory to wear it, but why would she wear something that reminds her of the one person who ruined her life?

She then had an idea on how she can still wear her uniform without having it to remind her of him. She searched all over her room for some bleach, scissors, and a sewing kit. Several minutes later, she discovered that the girls' dorm building had a laundromat, which was perfect for her to bleach her trench coat. She placed it in the washing machine and poured the chemical in to white it out and then in the dryer to clean it.

A couple hours later, she took it to a tailor room she stumbled upon earlier to readjust it to an appropriate length; while growing up on the streets, she learned how to sew so that she can make clothes for herself and Leo, so her skills will definitely come in handy. Using a nearby mannequin for reference, she placed the white jacket on it and measured where she believed it should stop, having settled on around the waist. She took a marker and lightly made a mark on the jacket as reference on where to cut; after removing it from the mannequin, she used a pair of scissors to cut the flared ends off.

The blue trimmings weren't affected by the beach, but it still help made the trench coat stand out, so she trimmed them off the now-detached ends. She aligned them on her work-in-progress jacket, and with careful and precise dedication, sewed them in place.

After spending so many hours working, Ray finally finished with her modified uniform, consisting of the white sleeveless jacket with blue trimmings, a blue miniskirt, and blue boots. As she spent her first year at Duel Academy, all the female Obelisk Blue students couldn't help but admire what she was wearing.

"Nice uniform," an Obelisk Blue student named Alexis Rhodes said. "Did you make that?"

"I sure did," Ray happily answered. "I couldn't stand wearing a typical uniform, so I had to make some adjustments."

"You have to show me what you did," Alexis happily said. "It looks more fashionable than these old jackets."

Later that day, Ray showed Alexis how she made her custom uniform, who was given permission to use the latter's trench coat as an example. She gave her the full tutorial, from bleaching it to cutting the ends off at the waist area to sewing the trimmings back on the newly-changed jacket. Several more hours later, Cyber Angel/Girl user was astonished with the results, commenting on how it made her appear more feminine.

"Not bad," Alexis commented, checking out her reflection in a mirror. "This uniform is more fitting."

"Thanks," Ray said. "I had to learn how to sew clothing, so I know how to modify outfits."

"Well it does look amazing," Alexis said. "Is it alright if I tell some of my friends about this?"

"Sure," Ray answered.

That same night, Alexis informed her friends, Jasmine Makurada and Mindy Hamaguchi, about the modified uniform she was shown how to make. Pretty soon, after learning how to do it themselves, it became a widespread trend among the female students all over the school. Even the faculty and the non-Obelisk Blue students spotted and took note on the different jackets that have quickly become popular.

"Wow Ray," Michael said during lunch. "A lot of students really like your modified uniform style."

"Thanks," Ray said. "Although I didn't think it would become a trend. I originally didn't want to wear something that reminds me of Kaiba."

"Well you better get used to the trend," Michael said. "I heard there's a Slifer Red junior student who wants to wear that kind of uniform for his senior year."

Ray wasn't expecting a Slifer Red student to get inspired to wear a similar outfit to the ones going around campus. She asked what his name was and Michael said it was Chumley Huffington. It should be simple enough; since the non-Obelisk Blue jackets weren't as long as the old trench coats, all she's got to do is bleach it, with the trimmings still remaining red.

"I'm surprised the other students are interested in my custom uniforms," Ray remarked.

"It's not just the students," Michael clarified. "Nurse Fontaine likes the style too. You might have started this because of your past with KaibaCorp, but I think you unintentionally changed the uniform policy of this school."

The onion-haired teen was right. Due to the skyrocketing popularity of Ray's custom uniforms, Chancellor Sheppard made the official decision to have them implemented as part of the school's dress code; the students were also given the liberty to wear variations of their attires. Aside from this surprise, her and Michael's first year at Duel Academy went well.

Their second year had another group of students joining the current ones; they included Slifer Red students Jaden Yuki and Syrus Truesdale, Ra Yellow mathematician Bastion Misawa, and Obelisk Blue "elite Duelist" Chazz Princeton, who was initially selfish and egotistical. So far, not a lot happened to them, other than seeing the new students going on misadventures including the risk of expulsion, the Abandoned Dorm, Jaden and Syrus' tag team duel against the Paradox Brothers, an escaped dueling test monkey, the summoned spirit of Jinzo, a duel against Harrington Rosewood (captain of Duel Academy's tennis team) for Alexis' affection, a duel giant, a Tarzan-esque student named Damon, a copycat duelist who stole Yugi's deck and mimicked his mannerisms (much to Michael's embarrassment), a love-struck Zane Truesdale fan switching her feelings towards Jaden, and the school duel against North Academy. The second half, however, affected them more because a threat was looming over Duel Academy: the Shadow Riders.

During this fiasco, Ray had come across Chazz during a chance encounter near the lake. Needless to say, the former Obelisk student was surprised.

"You're Ray Akaba!" Chazz exclaimed.

"Yeah," Ray said, puzzled by his behavior. "Can I help you?"

"You're that girl who changed the uniform policy!" Chazz said. "Please use your special sewing skills on my uniform!"

Ray was rather embarrassed about being praised like that. Her simple decision to alter her jacket to not remind her of Kaiba has made her become a legend among the students for over a year. She took a look at Chazz's uniform, which wasn't school-related, but was allowed to wear it as long as he followed the rules. In fact, nonuniforms have also been made as an exception during the uniform policy change. His grayish-purple shirt, dark blue jeans, and brown shoes were fine, but his dark gray trench coat was tattered at the ends. Was that why he needed his help?

"I'll see what I can do," Ray said.

"Thank you, Ms. Akaba!" Chazz said as he took off his trench coat and gave it to Ray.

Because of her legacy, Ray was given her own sewing kit as a thank you gift for creating an extraordinary change. As she was about to fix up the tattered ends, she noticed there were a few rips on the sleeves. Where did Chazz get this coat in the first place? Was it part of the clothes he got during his stay at North Academy? Regardless, she knew he was going to love the results once she's finished.

Meanwhile, Michael strolled by the Slifer Red dorm as part of his personal tour of what the other dorms are like. He was still having a hard time accepting that this was where some of the students were staying for the next few years…although it does have a neat view of the ocean. As he gazed upon the dorm's structure, a familiar voice called from the balcony. He eyes shifted in the direction of where it was coming from, leading him to notice it belonged to Jaden. How did he not notice the Elemental HERO user until just now?

"Whoa, is that a dragon?!" Jaden had called out.

Michael glanced over at his Odd-Eyes Dragon card; since it was the only dragon he has, it obviously was what Jaden was referring to. The Obelisk Blue teen still had his tendency to leave Odd-Eyes out of his deck and bring his friend along with him all the time.

However, Michael quickly realized there was no way for Jaden to see that card all the way on the ground. "How did you…?"

"I can see him standing next to you," Jaden explained, walking over to the onion-haired teen. "And from the looks of it, he seems pretty protective."

Michael asked himself how it was possible for Jaden to see Odd-Eyes. Can he also communicate with Duel Monster Spirits too?

"You can actually see Duel Monster Spirits?" Michael asked.

"Sure can," Jaden cheerfully answered. "Sure is fun to see them."

"I can't actually see them," Michael admitted. "I can only hear Odd-Eyes speak to me through his card."

"There's a difference?" Jaden asked.

"There is," Michael answered.

"Then maybe we should hang out some time after this whole Shadow Riders thing is taken care of so you can tell me more about this dragon of yours," Jaden suggested, putting his arm across Michael's shoulders. "Whaddya say?" He winked with a huge grin on his face.

Was this Jaden's way of flirting? Sure looks like it and it made Michael surprised yet a bit uncomfortable. It was obvious he had feelings for Ray, making him straight, but what about Jaden? Was he homosexual or bisexual with a male preference? Then again, it would be nice to befriend someone from outside of the Obelisk Blue dorms; hopefully, Jaden will understand that he already has a crush on his childhood friend.

"Sure," Michael said. "I can tell you all about my experiences with Odd-Eyes."

"Sounds pretty sweet to me," Jaden said. "Maybe you can also tell me where you got those cool green highlights."

Back at the female Obelisk Blue dorm, Ray finished sewing up the last rip on the left sleeve, completely fixing Chazz's trench coat. Her kit had similar colors, but they were in different shades; while teaching herself how to sew during the past decade, she also developed an extremely keen eye that can tell which hue matches the piece of clothing. Luckily, the tailor room had some fabric in the exact colors she needed. Despite the mini search she went on, she made the entire jacket look brand new again.

At that moment, Ray had a sudden idea. What if she could start a mini-business during the remainder of her school years? There were probably other students who need to repair their uniforms. Maybe she could help out with that. She made a post-it note reminding herself to return Chazz's trench coat and set up flyers promoting free uniform repairs first thing tomorrow morning.

There was a knock on the door, leading Ray to inform the person that it's unlocked. That person she spoke to turned out to be Michael. Needless to say, what he said was rather unexpected as soon as he entered the room.

"I love you, Ray Akaba!" the onion-haired teen declared.

A light tint of pink quickly formed on Ray's cheeks as she stood frozen in place. The pen she used to write the reminder slipped out of her hand and fell on the floor just as she was about to put it away when she heard those five words.

"Michael?" Ray asked. "Why did you- MMPH!"

Her question was cut off with a kiss from Michael, but it was more of a running kiss. He had dashed towards her to connect his lips with hers, only for them to fall down to the floor in the process. Fortunately, their kiss wasn't broken and she eventually gave in before they engaged in a loving make-out session. Ray's right hand landed on the back of Michael's head as she entangled her fingers through his silver strands whereas her left arm wrapped itself on his back, using her left hand to lightly grip onto his shoulder and embracing him.

Some time later, the two had to part for air, but their arms were still wrapped around each other. "What's…going on?" Ray asked, having a hard time speaking due to Michael giving small kisses on her neck. Her grip on his hair tightened as he did so.

"Turns out that Jaden kid is attracted to guys," Michael explained between kisses. "It made me realize you're the only person I love."

Ray was flummoxed by what Michael said, and those pecks on her neck made it difficult to understand what he means. She soon deduced that he ultimately admitted his sexual preference to Jaden when they met. Simultaneously, she also began to see how cute her childhood friend really is.

"Well you do have cute hair and nice eyes," Ray admitted, ruffling the onion-shaped locks.

"So does that mean…?" Michael asked.

"I guess we're officially boyfriend and girlfriend," Ray admitted. "But…"

"I told you, we have nothing to worry about," Michael repeated. "Leo will never know."


	3. The Society's Influence

Michael and Ray spent the rest of their second year as a couple instead of best friends. Their first date was during Duel Monster Spirit Day, an annual festival held at Duel Academy with Obelisk Blue becoming a café, Ra Yellow having food stands, and Slifer Red holding a cosplay duel tournament where Jaden dueled against a girl who may or may not have been the real Dark Magician Girl. They also got glimpses of other events, such as Pierre the Gambler showing up to duel Alexis, the next two Shadow Riders showing up with the mysterious disappearance of Professor Lyman Banner, the rise of the Sacred Beasts, Chumley heading to Industrial Illusions for a program he got accepted to, and Zane's graduation match against Jaden where he passed the title of Duel Academy's best Duelist to the Slifer Red student.

By their third year, more students started attending, including Tyranno Hassleberry from Ra Yellow—who has dinosaur DNA after a rock slide damaged his left leg—and two more Obelisk Blue students: a mysterious teen named Aster Phoenix and his manager known as Sartorius, a fortune teller and leader of an organization called the Society of Light, which was going to be Duel Academy's next threat.

As for Ray, things were going well for her. Her student uniform repair service had become a success thanks to Chazz telling the other students about the handiwork she did to his trench coat. So as more students asked for custom repairs and alterations, the young Akaba girl started to wonder if that's what her future could be: a fashion designer.

However, despite her successful business, she couldn't stop thinking about her issues with Kaiba. Although she was now living a pretty great life since the day she and her father got a new house, it was because of him that she ended up growing up with a crappy past throughout her childhood. If it wasn't for him, Leo Corporation wouldn't have gone bankrupt and she wouldn't be forced into poverty. At the same time, she also wouldn't have met her boyfriend and become an idol all over Duel Academy. Her conflicting dilemma was more confusing, frustrating, and overwhelming than just straight up conflicting and she needed to resolve this now. Recently, she has been hearing rumors of Sartorius' ability to see into the future through Tarot card readings. She eventually decided to pay him a visit and figure out if he can do anything to help.

"So what do you say?" Ray asked the rumored prophet. "What's my future?"

Sartorius drew a card from his deck and revealed it to Ray. It was the Trap card Reversal of Fate. "You seem unsure of your life," he stated. "You were meant to become a famous Duelist thanks to the success of Action Duels." He revealed the card Arcana Force I - The Magician. "But because of an unknown force, a chain of events occurred, resulting in a complete change in your destiny. However…" He drew a third card from his deck, but he did not reveal it. "There is darkness in your future, for this card is Arcana Force EX - The Dark Ruler." He proceeded to shuffle the cards into his deck, unaware that he accidentally dropped the third card he drew.

A darkness in Ray's future? But how is that possible? She explained that this unknown force was caused by a person named Seto Kaiba and he had rejected Leo's idea of Action Duels because Solid Vision with mass could lead to world destruction; his introduction of Duel Disks to the public led Leo Corporation to bankruptcy and her and Leo broke. She was glad her life was rebuilt, but she couldn't stop thinking about this darkness. If she wants to stop it, how long will it take before it overtakes her? How come she was completely unaware of it while Sartorius knew of it from the moment they met? Was seeing him even a good idea? If so, then what can he do to help?

"What can I do to stop this darkness?" Ray asked.

"By embracing the light," Sartorius answered. "As long as you stay towards the light, darkness will never touch you."

"Embrace…the light?" Ray asked.

Sartorius took out a second deck of cards. "It's that simple," he explained. "All you have to do is accept your new destiny."

New destiny? Was he referring to the one she was forced to create the past decade? Ray's internal questions then turned to assumptions. If that's the case, then it shouldn't be too challenging; after all, everyone knows that light is the opposite of darkness, and as long as I embrace it, I'm sure to have a bright future for myself and with Michael. Besides, his second deck must have a way to help me fulfill this simple task. As she stared into the second deck, her thoughts were cut off by the sound of Sartorius' voice.

"Go ahead," the prophet said. "Follow me to the path of the light. It's the only way you can accept your new destiny."

Ray willingly accepted his advice, becoming one of the first members of the Society of Light. She was given a brand new deck as a symbol of her acceptance to Sartorius' words, but her original deck containing her Hope Dragons unknowingly dropped to the floor.

"That's a good girl," Sartorius said. "You have made the right choice."

"Thank you, Sartorius," Ray replied.

Shortly after that, the plan to expand the Society of Light was properly initiated as Chazz was defeated by Sartorius in a duel. His psychic ability and his powerful Arcana Force XII - The Hangman were what brought the dark-haired Slifer Red student to his demise and he became a new member after admitting he still wanted to defeat Jaden. He was given the task of converting students into Obelisk White, a ranking specifically made to denote oneself to the Society of Light, which included Alexis and Bastion, whom were both defeated in their duels against him.

Spending time in the organization was interesting for Ray; because she wasn't fully converted like the others, she was given special accommodations. Instead of the standard female Obelisk White uniform, she wore a white dress with the upper half being a sparkly silver color, a pair of white heels, and a silver chocker necklace. Little does she know, they were actually cover-ups so that she doesn't get suspicious of Sartorius hiding the truth from her.

"I don't get it," Chazz told Ray at one point. "You're part of the Society of Light, so how come you don't act like it?"

"I…don't know," Ray admitted, speaking in an emotionless tone. In all honesty, she hasn't felt a lot of emotion ever since she joined the group.

Meanwhile, Michael hasn't seen Ray for quite some time since he saw her starting her own uniform repair service, and he was rather concerned. The Genex Tournament was coming up soon and he wanted to ask her if she was participating in it. They also have a scheduled field trip to go to their hometown of Domino City. So many students from Obelisk Blue and Ra Yellow were "embracing the light," Jaden finally returned with his NEOS card he won in a card-designing contest years ago and won in his rematch against Aster, and rumor has it that Zane has had a negative change of heart as he has become sadistic and disrespectful of his opponents. Basically, the whole ordeal that has been happening lately was a big deal for Michael.

"What are we gonna do, Odd-Eyes?" Michael asked his trusted partner. "I haven't heard from Ray since that weird society showed up. There has to be some way we can figure out what's going on."

Most people wouldn't see it, but Odd-Eyes saw something small within the distance. Michael asked what he saw and the teen headed towards where it was, only for them to find Ray's Hope Dragon deck and an Arcana Force card. The Obelisk Blue student was frightened by what he saw; his own girlfriend joined the Society of Light? But why would she do something like this?

"Something's not right," Michael said as he picked up the cards. "Ray would never abandon her Hope Dragons. She-" Then he realized the lone Arcana Force card was actually Arcana Force VI - The Lovers. "What's this?"

Michael's gaze shifted towards Odd-Eyes Dragon, realizing his girlfriend may or may not have been tricked. "We need to find Ray," he decided.

The onion-haired teen headed towards the now Obelisk White dorms to find Ray. With everyone in the Society of Light dressed alike, the only way he can find her is her hairstyle. He inadvertently stumbled across some of the organization's members, much to his luck, who all want him to join. Fortunately, he was smart to know not to duel any of them because losing against them means he automatically becomes a member himself.

"Where is Ray Akaba?!" Michael demanded.

"I'll tell you," one of the members said. "But only if you defeat me in a du-"

But Michael grabbed the student by the jacket. "I don't care!" he exclaimed. "Tell me where Ray Akaba is!"

Michael wasn't usually the kind of person to resort to violent tactics like grabbing people's clothes, but when Ray could be in danger, he has no choice but to do whatever it takes to make sure she is out of trouble and not injured.

"Very well," the student said, causing Michael to release his grip. "I will take you to Lady Akaba."

 _Lady_ Akaba? What is he even talking about? Michael obliged, still worried about Ray, as he followed the student up to the highest room of the dorms. As the door opened, he immediately noticed how elegant the room looked. There was a girl wearing a dress, but the Obelisk Blue student couldn't who she was. What made her even unrecognizable was the makeup she was wearing; her skin appeared pale and her lips were a glossy bright red. Her hair was also tied in an elegant bun near her neck and held in place by a silver hair clip. Was this really Ray or was this a human-sized doll? Michael wasn't sure why, but the choker around her neck made him more concerned.

"My god…" Michael said. "What have they done to you, Ray?!"

No response… At least, no verbal response. All she did was activate her Duel Disk while having an emotionless expression.

"Ray?" Michael asked, sounding concerned.

"It's no use speaking to her," the student explained. "Lady Akaba is the Society's best member. She was never fully converted like the rest of us, so Sartorius gave her special privileges and groomed her into the perfect Duelist."

Perfect? There's clearly nothing perfect about what Ray has transformed into, thought Michael. She was imperfectly perfect the way she was and now this Sartorius person—no, _monster_ —has molded her into something she isn't. She's too beautiful…too deadpan…

"Too much like a dog!" he yelled out as he too activates his Duel Disk. If he can't bring Ray back through words, then a duel will surely snap her out of it.

Luckily Michael's opening hand was perfect. "I'll start things off with an old friend," he said. "Say hello to Xiangsheng Magician!"

Xiangsheng Magician was a Level 4 LIGHT Spellcaster monster with 500 ATK and 1500 DEF; in another timeline, she would've been more than just a regular effect monster. Her effect allows her to reduce an monster's ATK to 0 if the opposing monster targets her for an attack. She can even make her ATK equal to an allied monster's current ATK, but it can be done once per turn.

"And since I can't attack on the first turn, I'll have to end it right here," Michael said as he placed two cards face down.

Ray started her turn by drawing a card, all without saying a single word. She still stared at Michael with her expressionless eyes as she summoned a monster without looking at her hand and Duel Disk. As it appeared on the field, the Obelisk Blue student was baffled at what he saw; he hasn't seen it before nor does he recognize the archetype she was using.

"What the…?" Michael asked.

"That's White Fate Fairytear," the student explained. "The White Fate fairies are Lady Akaba's signature cards. Sartorius gave those cards to her because of how perfect she is."

"But she's not!" Michael insisted. "Ray Akaba is anything but perfect, but she refuses to let her flaws stop her! It's like what she always says: Akabas never give up! Doesn't that phrase ring a bell, Ray?! Remember all the times you said that to me?!"

Ray said nothing and his only answer was a blank emotion from her face. She then gestured her right arm forward and pointed at Xiangsheng Magician for White Fate Fairytear to attack her, initiating her Battle Phase. As the fairy prepared for her attack, Michael activated his monster's effect.

"I activate Xiangsheng Magician's special ability!" Michael declared. "Use your magical arrow to drain White Fate Fairytear of all its attack points!"

Using her archery skills, Xiangsheng fired her arrow at Fairytear and drained its ATK to 0. As a result, Ray took 500 damage and her Life Points slightly lowered to 3500. She ended her turn with two face-down cards as well, passing the turn to Michael, who was still trying to break his girlfriend free from her state. He drew a card and scanned the four cards in his hands. He knows Fairytear must have some kind of ability, so he had to strategize and play his moves carefully.

"This isn't like you, Ray Akaba!" Michael said. "You've seen me use Xiangsheng Magician countless times, so you would know about her special ability! But I'm gonna snap you back to your senses by the time this duel is over!"

The two continued the duel and there was no luck on getting Ray out of her inexpressive state. Surprisingly, during the times she attacked, none of her monsters used effects, so the White Fates were normal monsters in actuality. Earlier, Michael came up with an idea to bring all four Hope Dragons onto the field. He doesn't have Polymerization, but Astrograph Sorcerer does have an ability that can have his owner use him as a substitution for Polymerization. Hopefully, Fusion Summoning Hope Dragon Nature will get her out of the Society of Light.

However, luck wasn't on his side. Due to the White Fates' support cards involving a lot of swarming, Michael was quickly losing life points. But ultimately, he was able to draw the right card. He smirked, glad he was finally able to put his plan into action.

"Ray, I'm gonna bring you back to your senses," Michael said. "And I have just the card to do that: Astrograph Sorcerer!"

There was still no answer from Ray as her opponent used Astrograph Sorcerer's first effect to Special Summon him since his previous monsters were destroyed.

"Astrograph Magician who governs space and time, use your abyssal power to overlay my desires!" Michael chanted as he revealed Hope Dragons Flower, Bird, Wind, and Moon from his hand. "Combine the four Hope Dragons into their true form!"

By banishing Astrograph Sorcerer and the four Hope Dragons, Michael was able to bring out Hope Dragon Nature onto the field. He was hoping this will create some kind of reaction from Ray.

"You see this?" Michael asked. "Your Hope Dragons are crying! They don't like seeing what you have become! You might have been brainwashed into thinking you're beautiful, but you're not! You have developed an ugly heart!" By this point, the onion-haired teen was in tears. "Please… Give me back my girlfriend…"

A single tear was seen from Ray's left eye and flowed down her face, removing a streak of her makeup. Her face was slightly expressionless, but it was showing signs of emotions from her. Was it working? Is she finally breaking free from her hypnosis?

"That's it, Ray!" Michael encouraged. "You told me you like the Hope Dragons because they represent your beliefs! You never gave up hope when you lost everything, so you better not give up now!"

Just when it looked like Michael's plan was working, the sound of an electric shock was heard from Ray's choker, causing her to scream in pain. He realized that she wasn't brainwashed or partly converted; she was mentally abused! Sartorius took advantage of her vulnerability to make her into the "perfect" Duelist against her free will through manipulation and exploitation. Her choker was actually a shock collar in disguised that sent volts of electricity to her every single time she displayed any sign of emotion. Her torture prolonged up to the point where her mental state was too damaged and weak to fight against it, leading her to become a blank slate. Underneath the sugarcoated treatment she got was the bitter, inhumane sadism of a savage fiend.

"Ray!" Michael exclaimed as he rushed over to his girlfriend. "Don't worry, I'll try to remove this thing!"

The only question he had was how he was going to remove the collar if it kept shocking her. If only he had rubber gloves on because rubber doesn't conduct electricity. The student told him that the collar is easily removable, but it was only possible if he told her to be temporarily emotionless or find the remote to deactivate it; either way, he should be able to get it off her neck. Michael believed Sartorious may have this remote and asked the student if it was in his room or if he brings it along with him.

However, Michael realized that there wouldn't be any way for Sartorious to constantly monitor Ray if he was too busy converting the other students. "Unless there isn't a remote," he said. "It's automatic, isn't it?!"

The student laughed in amusement. "Okay, you got me," he said. "The shock collar is controlled by the brain."

Michael should have known the collar was automatic; if it was remote controlled, then this task would have been a lot easier. Of course a psychic like Sartorius would control it through the brain. Then he was given himself a choice: tell Ray to be emotionless for only a few minutes or rip the collar off while facing the risk of getting himself electrocuted. They have endure a lot of danger and misfortune, from Doma to the Shadow Riders. Whatever decision he makes, he will rescue his girlfriend.

"Ray, you're gonna have to stay emotionless for a few minutes," Michael said.

"N-No…" Ray said, reaching up to the collar. "I can't… I have to end this!"

Was Ray going to rip the collar off herself? She was, but she can't. The shocks have left her in severe pain the past few days and her body was too weak to even move. The Obelisk White student tried to sneak away; Michael spotted what he was attempting to do, but there was a girlfriend in need of saving. He at least had a good image in his head of what he looked like just in case if they crossed paths again.

"Calm down," Michael said. "You have to trust me."

Ray simply stared back into Michael, afraid of what might happen to him. If he gets hurt, she may blame herself for it; however, the two have known each other for years and have trusted each other in many kinds of situations. She let out an exhale before her face turned stoic again, resulting in the shocks to stop.

Michael wasted no time removing the shock collar from Ray, causing his girlfriend to hug him. "Thank you," she said, her throat sounding hoarse from all the shocks she received.

Michael hugged her back before the weakness in her body became too much for her as she fell unconscious in his arms. She needed to see Nurse Fontaine immediately, so he picked her up in his arms to bring her out of this hellhole. Once he was out of the dorm, he ran as fast as he could to Duel Academy to make sure she gets medical attention. He sped his way down the halls and stopped in front of the nurse's office, where Fonda opened the door to see Ray passed out in his arms. She helped him get the Akaba girl into a bed so she could rest; at the same time, he took off her heels, untied her bun to let her wavy hair down, and dampened a facecloth to remove the makeup from her face. Without the fake image Sartorius created, she actually looked beautiful with her natural appearance and features.

"Sleep well, my princess," Michael said, speaking in hushed voice as he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. He desperately hoped Leo would never know about this.


	4. Getting Stronger

Within a few days, Ray had regained enough strength to go on the Domino City field trip. She has been looking forward to it before falling victim to the Society of Light because she gets an opportunity to visit her father and see how he's been doing the past few years. Michael admitted that it felt weird to be heading back to their hometown for a visit, but it was also remarkable to walk in the streets of a city where some important historical dueling events took place involving his idol Yugi Muto. He never forgot those words of advice to stay true to himself and he still cherished that memory to this day.

Ray noticed Michael's happy expression. "What got you smiling?" she asked.

"Before we met, I got to talk to Yugi Muto himself," Michael said. "He encouraged me to follow my heart and stick to my beliefs. He's the reason why I'm sticking to my Dueltainment dreams."

Ray remembered him telling her his dream to be a Dueltainer and was honestly impressed to learn how much he idolizes Yugi and was the reason for his future. She then began to ponder about her own future…again. While recovering in the nurse's office, she kept thinking about her possible dream to be a fashion designer. Her simple modifications to the female jackets led her to becoming an idol around campus and open up her own uniform repair business. Earlier that same week, the non-converted students were devastated to learn about her being manipulated into joining the Society of Light and the aftermath that followed, which explained the service's sudden hiatus, but they were all relieved that she's alright and that she'll be heading back to fixing up clothes in a little while. She didn't mind her abrupt popularity, but she has come to understand their undying respect, loyalty, and admiration for her, regardless of her being fooled into "embracing the light". Her talent for sewing and modifying clothes contributed into the life she was now living and left a positive impact on the dress code, and quite frankly, she was highly content with that. She hoped that her dream will leave an influence in the fashion world when she gets older.

"Michael, if you manage to become a Dueltainer, can I design your costumes?" Ray asked.

"Really?" Michael asked in response.

Ray smiled and nodded. "During my time in Duel Academy, I have become well-known for being a fashion designer. What if that's my true future?"

Michael definitely knew how much Ray was admired for her fashion skills. It would be awesome if she does utilize them to pursue her dream to design and fix clothes. He even imagined what costumes she would make for him to wear for his Dueltaining career.

"Sure," Michael said. "Can't wait to see what costumes you have in mind for my performances."

Ray's face became happy upon hearing those words of support. It was obvious that everyone adored the clothes she made and repaired, so being a fashion designer was officially going to be her future.

Not long after the two's discussion, the Duel Academy students arrived at Domino City. Everyone scattered all over the city; most of them gave themselves tours as they went to locations where important events occurred from Battle City while Sartorius headed towards KaibaCorp to talk to Kaiba about something. As for Michael and Ray, they walked down the streets together, talking about how it felt nice to be back in their hometown. She mentioned how she knows what her dad's hours are, so she'll visit him after he's done working. As usual, knowing the couple, they always unintentionally come across Jaden with his friends; this time, they saw him at the pier with Syrus and Hassleberry, who were both arguing about Yugi's duel against a mind-controlled Joey and—not surprisingly—who is worthy of being Jaden's best friend.

"Have you noticed something is a bit off with that Hassleberry guy?" Michael asked.

"Aside from having dinosaur DNA?" Ray asked.

"Not just that," Michael clarified. "It's how he treats Jaden."

"What about it?" Ray asked.

"He seems a little more chummy towards him," Michael said. "He even calls him 'sarge'."

Ray immediately knew what Michael was talking about. "You don't think…?"

"Probably," Michael guessed. "I never saw him express an interest in girls."

Even if Hassleberry doesn't have a preference for females, Michael and Ray both agreed that he wouldn't be the right fit for Jaden. Maybe it was for the best for him to be just his friend.

Later on, as Jaden, Syrus, and Hassleberry went to Kame Game Shop, Michael walked by KaibaCorp. As he looked at the building's structure, he reflected on how this gaming company was run by someone who ruined his girlfriend's old life. He was glad that she's moving on from it and looking towards the future. Just then, he heard a growl from Odd-Eyes Dragon, almost like he was eager about something.

Michael took out the card. "What's that, Odd-Eyes?" he asked. "You're sensing someone in there?"

Odd-Eyes growled out "Yes", leading to his owner to head to the window where he was sensing not someone, but rather something. It was a Duel Monsters card, leading to Michael to read its statistics. His name was Starving Venom Fusion Dragon and he was a Level 8 DARK Dragon Monster with 2800 ATK and 2000 DEF, requiring 2 DARK monsters—except Tokens—as Fusion Materials. On the turn he was Fusion Summoned, he can gain ATK equal to a special summoned monster the opponent controls until the End Phase. He can also target a Level 5 or higher opposing monster and obtain its name and effects, but it can only be done once per turn. If he was destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, his owner can destroy all special summoned monsters the opponent controls.

"Wow!" Michael exclaimed, impressed. "I never saw a card like that before!"

He heard Odd-Eyes enthusiastically roar, as if he may have found a new dragon to include in his owner's deck. Michael wasn't sure if it was for sale or available in stores, but he did hear him call out to him.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Michael turned his head to see where the voice came from and it was none other than Seto Kaiba himself, the same person who was not only Yugi's self-proclaimed rival, but also ruined Leo and Ray's lives. The Obelisk Blue student couldn't believe he was actually meeting him…at first.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Kaiba, sir!" Michael exclaimed. "But it felt like that card was calling out to me and-"

"Say no more," Kaiba interrupted. "I want you to come with me."

Come with him? Was there something important going on? Does it involve the Society of Light? Regardless, Michael listened to what Kaiba instructed and followed him.

"A few years ago, I never believed in fate," Kaiba said. "But then certain events occurred that made me realize things happen for a reason and it's not random."

"What are you saying?" Michael asked.

"I'm saying that if you really think that card called out to you, you can have it," Kaiba answered.

Michael was left stupefied but excited at the same time and thanked Kaiba for the offer. He was finally going to get a second dragon in his deck and Odd-Eyes his first dragon friend. "Wow, thanks!" he happily said. "I was actually trying to find another dragon!"

"Don't get too excited," Kaiba informed. "I'm only doing this because Sartorius told me about what happened to your girlfriend. I'm aware that it's my fault she ended up siding with him, but I had to make sure Solid Vision wouldn't cause the holograms to become self-aware. Leo Corporation going bankrupt wasn't my fault. People just happened to become fast fans of Duel Disks."

It was starting to become clear for Michael about why Leo and Ray ended up going broke. It was _partially_ Kaiba's fault, but the general public was to blame for it. The CEO explained that he had to tell him because he feared she wouldn't believe him.

"You do have a good point," Michael said. "Ray has a tendency to be stubborn."

"So think of this card as my way of apologizing to the Akabas," Kaiba said. "After all, if you two are thinking about freeing the other students from the Society of Light, you're going to need a lot more powerful cards."

Michael immediately knew that Kaiba sensed something fishy was going on with Sartorius and the Society of Light after he spoke to the Arcana Force user. He was then informed about how security was keeping an eye on things at Kaiba Land after the CEO gave Sartorius permission to use the theme park.

"By the way, he also mentioned something about missing a card," Kaiba added. "He didn't seem to mind, but do you know anything about that?"

Michael remembered seeing the card a few days earlier when he was looking for Ray. He still had it with him and took it out from his deck. He explained that Arcana Force VI - The Lovers was originally supposed to be used to describe the couple's future together. It was unknowingly dropped and Sartorius used a different card to lure her into the Society of Light and mentally abuse her into becoming "the perfect Duelist".

"Then perhaps you can give that card to her," Kaiba suggested. "Ray might put it to good use."

"You think so?" Michael asked.

"Seems fitting since you're getting a new card," Kaiba explained. "Just don't waste this new power."

After staring at the Arcana card, Michael thanked Kaiba for the assistance. The two walked over to the display case and the latter unlocked it before handing Starving Venom over to the former and reminding him to take care of it. He said that he will and then exited the glass doors, leaving KaibaCorp.

The onion-haired teen ran through the streets to find his girlfriend and saw her near the city center. He then told her what Kaiba said about how the public's vast support of the Duel Disks was what caused Leo Corporation's downfall; she then face-palmed out of realization because she was so stupid to blame someone for her and Leo's poverty. She was reassured of how she had every right to be upset and was reminded on how Action Duels were rejected because Solid Vision with mass could make the monsters sentient and lead to global doomsday, making it Kaiba's fault for his decision, not the bankruptcy. She softly smiled after hearing this, making it a sign that her grudge against the CEO has lightened or maybe even faded away.

Michael then gave Ray a monster card. She asked what it was and he explained that they were given these two powerful cards to help them in their fight against the Society of Light.

"Wait a minute…" Ray said. "This is Sartorius' card!"

"Not anymore," Michael explained. "This was what he initially drew when he apparently read your fortune, but he must have lied in order to get you to join him."

Ray read the given information of Arcana Force VI - The Lovers. It was a Level 4 LIGHT Fairy-Type monster with 1600 ATK and DEF. When it is summoned, she must toss a coin to activate one of its two effects; if it lands on heads, she can treat it as 2 tributes for tribute summoning an Arcana Force monster, but if it's tails, then she can't tribute summon Arcana Force monsters. The effects seemed meaningless to her because she doesn't have that archetype, but Michael interpreted this card as a symbol for what her future was supposed to be: a bright and happy marriage with him.

"You really think so?" Ray asked.

"Of course," Michael answered. "You might have had a rough past, but it looks like fate wants us to be together."

Ray looked at the card again. "This could actually work," she realized. "Hope Dragon Flower's secondary ability allows me to special summon a LIGHT Fairy-Type monster from my deck or hand."

She may have found a new strategy she can use with the dropped card. She also pointed out on the card Michael was holding in his hand and he said Kaiba let him have Starving Venom Fusion Dragon because he felt a connection between them. As a bonus, this also made him Odd-Eyes' first dragon friend.

"Are you sure?" Ray asked.

"Of course," Michael answered. "I can hear him as well. He really likes being in my deck."

If that was the case, then Ray was proud of Michael gaining a new dragon partner. Now their next task was to find useful and powerful cards to battle against the Society of Light, so their best bet was to check out the card and game shops around town. Although they weren't able to assist Jaden and Aster due to their card search, it still didn't change the fact their mission to defeat Sartorius and free the students from his influence was necessary.

Not long after the Domino City field trip, the Genex Tournament was beginning shortly because Chancellor Sheppard was returning to announce it. During his absence, he has been giving various and professional Duelists one Genex Medallion to participate. Shortly after the tournament began, Dr. Crowler had called Michael and Ray into his office to speak with them about something important.

"Thank you for coming," Dr. Crowler said. "I wish for you to handle the professional Duelists who are participating in this tournament."

The two Obelisk Blue students were surprised by this request. "How come?" Michael asked.

"Because they are giving the more inexperienced students a hard time," Dr. Crowler explained. "I feel that it is an unfair disadvantage. I have already asked Damon and Belowski for their help and, as the two best Obelisk Blue students in your class, I wish for you to do the same."

"Thank you, Dr. Crowler," Ray said. "We won't let you down."

The best part is they can try out their new strategies now that they got Starving Venom, The Lovers, and some new cards they bought back at Domino. They were both given the last two Genex Medallions to let people know they're participating: one for Michael and one for Ray. They left the office and went outside to the island to start dueling the professionals. Some of them like Mathmatica and Maitre'D make the students afraid because they wish not to duel them due to how strong they are with their skills, but the couple won't back down from a challenge, even if they are from pro Duelists.

"Well if it isn't the rumored Obelisk students of Duel Academy."

The two students turned around to see a figure standing behind them. They recognized the red suit and the light blue and black striped mask anywhere. It was the legendary and infamous Arkana, who was one of Marik's Rare Hunters hired to defeat Yugi during Battle City and tricked into reuniting with his beloved Catherine. Since that day many years ago, he never forgave his former master for deceiving him like that, but he still has his Dark Magician and is no longer a cheater.

Michael stepped forward. "You're the illusionist Arkana," he said.

"Correct," Arkana said. "The one true Dark Magician user."

Michael smirked at that. "As if," he said. "That title goes to Yugi Muto."

"How would you know?" Arkana asked.

"Do you really think you're the only one who likes magicians?" Michael asked, revealing the magician cards in his deck. "I bet my lovely magicians can beat yours."

"You dare challenge me?" Arkana asked.

"Sure, I could kill some time," Michael answered.

The two activated their Duel Disks to initiate the duel and to see if Arkana's Dark Magician can handle Michael's Magicians and Sorcerers, especially the surprise he has in store for his opponent. While that is going on, Ray wished her boyfriend good luck before heading off to find another pro Duelist to duel against.

"Well what do we have here?"

Ray stopped waking to see the person standing in front of her. It was Rex Raptor and his brown hair with purple-dyed strands on his forehead were a clear giveaway. Ray has heard a lot about him since she was a kid and she knows that he has high dueling morals and plays fair despite his arrogant and tyrannical personality.

"So you're the one with the Hope Dragons," Rex commented.

"Indeed," Ray happily replied. "You want to see them in action?"

"Whaddya think?" Rex asked as he readied his Duel Disk. "I love a good challenge, but don't get too cocky. My dinos have gotten stronger over the past few years."

Naturally, he was one to talk _because_ he was cocky. Ray also prepared her Duel Disk as well as she was about to start Crowler's assignment of dueling the professionals along with Michael. If she was going to be honest, she didn't expect legendary Duelists like Rex and Arkana to show up on the island, but it makes the tournament more fun to take part in.

So far, the couple have been fairing really well as they gained more Genex Medallions by defeating many pro Duelists. They spotted Damon and Belowski, who were both exhausted after dueling for a while, so they picked up the pace and dueled more professionals, including those that were defeated by their classmates and Alexis (since she still showed respect and pride for her Obelisk Blue companions). While they continued to search for any more pro Duelists on the island, they spotted a duel was going on and ran to where Jaden, Aster, and Hassleberry were standing. From what they saw, it was a battle between brothers with Syrus going against Zane, who looked and acted much differently than he normally did.

"Weird…" Michael said. "Was Zane always that cold?"

"Probably," Ray answered. "But Syrus seems…off."

Well, they weren't exactly off. Jaden and Aster overheard their curiosity and filled them in on what was happening. After his defeat at the Pro League, Zane soon became sadistic and disrespectful towards his opponents after his duel with Mad Dog. Syrus doesn't like his brother's new personality, so he decided to duel him to try and reclaim the latter's old persona. He was also "off" because of the shock-amplifying devices they were wearing, which electrocutes the Duelist whenever they lose Life Points; Zane was used to the shocks, but Syrus wasn't. He was using a continuous Trap called Life Force where he can reduce the Battle Damage to 0 at the cost of 400 LP.

Ray was absolutely horrified, her hand immediately reaching up to her neck. Despite her recovery, she could still feel the shocks she received during her time in the Society of Light. Why would Zane do such a thing?

Michael instinctively place his hands on Ray's shoulders to calm her down while reassuring her that it was going to be okay. Jaden and Hassleberry recalled hearing the story of the mental abuse Sartorius gave her while she was regaining her strength.

"Sarge and I heard about what happened," Hassleberry said. "Didn't even known that was goin' on."

"None of us knew," Michael pointed out. "Sartorius imprisoned her in a room and prevented her from escaping."

"You feelin' alright, Ray?" Jaden asked.

"It still scares me from time to time," Ray answered. "But I think I managed to make a full recovery."

"That's the spirit!" Jaden encouraged, doing his signature pose to get Ray to smile.

Ray always saw Jaden's pose whenever he won a duel against someone up to where she can instantly spot it, even at a far distance. It undoubtedly helped her relax and crack a smile on her face. "Thanks Jaden," she said, knowing how he could still remain so calm and happy during dramatic moments.

The Slifer Red student pointed out that he'll do anything for a friend, a fellow classmate, or a student regardless of rankings. The five Duelists watched from the sidelines as the Truesdales' duel progressed. At one point, Syrus fell onto his knees after getting shocked and draining his LP down to 1600 due to Life Force, with his glasses falling off as well. It was nearly impossible for him to respect his older brother when he's like this, but Zane harshly claimed that there's only enough room for respecting victory, even if it means disrespecting his opponents. Hearing this cruel irony shocked Michael, Ray, Aster, and Hassleberry, but not Jaden.

"Syrus, no!" Jaden exclaimed. "It's not true! Don't listen to him! He's wrong, fight it! And don't forget: Zane isn't himself! You need to remind him about respect! Respect for his cards, respect for his opponent, and respect for himself!"

Syrus stood up and put his glasses back on face before drawing a card, which was revealed to be Power Bond. He wasn't expecting to find it in his deck and looked at Jaden until he realized that his friend went to his dorm room to look for it and shuffled it with the rest of his cards. Michael had to muffle a laugh when that was revealed.

Ray asked what was so funny until she spotted Power Bond and Syrus' comprehended expression. She could've sworn he was afraid of using that card yet the look on Jaden's face said that now was a good time to use it and to help remind Zane about respect.

As Cycroid and the Equip Spell Training Wheels returned to the field, the Vehicroid user used Power Bond to Fusion Summon Pair Cycroid with its ATK doubled to 3200, but was decreased down to 2700 by activating its effect to remove 500 ATK in order to declare a direct attack. Zane activates Power Wall and sent 27 cards to the Graveyard to nullify the attack, resulting in his younger brother to play a face-down. Power Bond's final effect would cause Syrus to take damage equal to Pair Cycroid's original 1600 ATK, but thanks to his face-down Mirror Guard, that damage is redirected to Zane, who activated Fusion Guard to cancel the effect by sending one Fusion monster to the Graveyard.

Once the Cyberdark user drew a card to start his turn, he used Warp Bean to reduce Cyberdarks Horn and Keel from 2800 to 800 ATK by sending Infernal and Exploder Dragons to the Graveyard and removed 200 more ATK on both monsters to attack his opponent directly. Life Force was activated twice, bringing Syrus' LP down to 800, and he used it a third time after Cyberdark Edge attacked directly through halving the Battle Damage, lowering it down to 400. Zane activated his face-down Rebirth Judgement to declare all monsters in both Graveyards as Dragon Type; he then used Instant Fusion to Fusion Summon Cyberdark Dragon by using Horn, Edge, and Keel as Fusion Materials. By using Cyber End Dragon's first effect to equip itself onto the special summoned monster, the ATK ricocheted from 1000 to 5000, and because there were 38 cards in his Graveyard, Cyberdark Dragon's third effect gives it an ATK for every discarded card x 100, making its total ATK 8800.

Zane targeted Pair Cycroid, but Syrus played Emergency Provisions to give himself an extra 1000 LP by discarding Mirror Guard and activated Life Force again to reduce the damage to 0 by costing 400 LP, bringing it down to 1000. He thought he won because that meant there were no cards left for his older brother to draw, but in an unexpected twist, De-Fusion was used and Cyberdarks Horn, Edge, and Keel were on the fields with 800 ATK each. They all dealt a direct attack to deal 2400 damage to him, causing the devices to electrocute him once more as his LP dropped down to 0 and he collapsed onto the ground as a result. Aster was left speechless at the duel's outcome while Michael and Ray were terrified; Hassleberry shouted out to Zane as he walked away while Jaden ran towards Syrus to see if he was okay, only to see his friend pass out. It was clear he needed to be taken to Nurse Fontaine's office right now.

"I don't know what's worse," Michael said as Ray was panicking due to the duel still reminding her of Sartorius' abuse. "The Society of Light or a deranged version of Zane."

Already knowing Ray was in a state of panic, Michael hugged her as much as she could to help regain her senses. Just witnessing the duel led her to become so terrified that she stated she might not be feeling well. This was a sign of her suffering from PTSD, and the shock-amplifying devices sending electricity to the Duelists were the triggers.

Michael started stroking his girlfriend's hair. "I see you hiding all alone," he started singing. "Crying oh so softly. Eyes looking down, feeling low." He started speaking normally. "Come on, RayRay. You love this song."

The song he was singing was the song "99%" by BOWL. He wanted to sing this to remind that despite the struggles she's been suffering, there will always be someone to help her through life's hardships.

"Rethinking all those memories," Michael continued singing, now having to separate from the hug to try to get her to dance with him. "Sadness comes across you and casts a frown. But things are more than they seem."

A small smile started to appear on Ray's face. "When darkness turns to daybreak," Michael sang. "Go out and seek for your sake. The people of this world may share with you your pain. But when a wall surrounds them, discourages and drowns them, they get up. So why don't you do the same?" As he sang that last part, the onion-haired teen booped his girlfriend's nose.

There was no point in resisting as Ray gave in and started dancing to the song. Michael may be dorky sometimes, but she was glad that he was her dork and she didn't want anything about that to change.

Ultimately Michael stopped singing and the two embraced in a sweet hug. "Thanks, you big dork," Ray said.

"Don't mention it, sweet princess," Michael replied.

For the rest of the school year, they continued participating in the Genex Tournament. They eventually lost all their Genex Medallions to non-Society students, but that moment meant they were now officially ready to take on the Society of Light. They joined Chazz—who wanted to make amends for his actions during his time at said organization—and a group of Obelisk Blue students as they freed most of them from the Society's grip while the dark-haired teen now possessed their Medallions. Ray felt this was an interesting way to take out her grudge against Sartorius, who was now under complete control by the Light of Destruction and dueling Jaden with the fate of the world at stake.

Just as Chazz was getting ready to declare himself the winner of the tournament, a disguised Blair Flannigan showed up who wanted to win this tournament and get into Slifer Red. Even though she soon lost and her opponent was officially the Genex Tournament Champion, she was still able to be accepted into Duel Academy as a Slifer Red student. It was also good timing too because Jaden defeated the Light of Destruction, freeing Sartorius from its control and disbanding the Society of Light for good.


	5. Survival Duels and Bio-Bands

Michael and Ray's final year was rather interesting because four students from the foreign branches were invited to attend: Adrian Gecko from East Academy, Axel Brodie from West Academy, Jim "Crocodile" Cook from South Academy, and Jesse Anderson from North Academy. However, Professor Thelonious Viper's exhibition match between Jaden and Jesse was an example of what was in store for Duel Academy: Survival Duels. Students must wear these hard-to-remove wristbands called Bio-Bands that can keep track of their data and send them to Viper to help him determine if they will stay or be expelled. There was only one way to remove them, but let's just say that method was too…violent.

However, at the moment, Michael and Ray were more focused on the exhibition match. Jaden and Jesse were acting a little too friendly towards each other, constantly complimenting each other's strategies and cards.

"Are they…flirting?" Ray ultimately realized.

"Looks like it to me," Michael answered.

As they watched on, they were getting more convinced about something. Is Jesse the perfect match for Jaden? Because it definitely looks like it.

"Sorry, you're gonna halfta wait," Jesse said.

"Me, wait?" Jaden asked. "If you won't summon it, then I'll force it out!"

For the remainder of the duel, Jaden's LP decreased rapidly, but managed to turn things around when Elemental Hero Air Neos destroyed Crystal Beast Amber Mammoth; Jesse wanted to special summoned Rainbow Dragon…but took it back, saying that he was bluffing and he ended up losing the rest of his Life Points. Viper returned to congratulate them on their exhibition match and then proceeded to explain the students about the mandatory Survival Duels and the Bio-Bands to determine the students' fate of staying or leaving Duel Academy. Afterwards, Chancellor Sheppard tried to explain how Michael and Ray don't need to wear them since they're the best students in their class, but Viper wasn't having it because mandatory means mandatory.

"All students have to participate," Viper said. He proceeded to grab Ray's wrist to put a Bio-Band on her. "No exceptions."

Suddenly, Ray began to have a panic attack, preventing Viper from putting the Bio-Band on her as she slapped it away. After witnessing Jaden and Jesse's exhibition match, she feared the risk of getting shocked like last time. This was why Sheppard didn't want her and Michael to participate; they may be the best students, but she was easily prone to getting worried and scared if she spotted something extremely concerning.

"I apologize for Ms. Akaba's behavior," Sheppard said. "She had an unpleasant experience with mental abuse last semester, so she gets panic attacks whenever she sees electro-shock devices."

"Very well," Viper said, releasing his grip on Ray. "But what about Mr. Lindonson?"

Michael immediately got tense after listening to that question. If he does wind up wearing the Bio-Band, there was a certain chance Ray may freak out if she sees it…unless he doesn't duel a lot. He realized how there is a fishy scheme unfolding and these Survival Duels are a mere disguise in order to fulfill it.

"I'm alright," Michael said, holding out his left wrist. "I'll take part in these Survival Duels."

"Are you sure?" Ray asked.

"Trust me," Michael reassured, looking at her deep in the eyes.

Ray could tell from his face that he had a reason for accepting to take part. Nodding her head in assimilation, she stepped out of Viper's way so he can attach the Bio-Band on Michael's wrist.

"You made the right choice, Mr. Lindonson," Viper said.

"I know," Michael replied. As long as he rarely dueled, he should be fine from any possible injuries.

Several days later, the Survival Duels have begun and it was taking a toll on a lot of Duelists. It began one night when Axel abducted Syrus, who was briefly promoted to Obelisk Blue, and challenged Jaden to a duel or else his friend will fall into the ocean. The Elemental Hero/Neos user won, but both Duelists felt weak and he fainted shortly after Jesse and Hassleberry rescued the Vehicroid user. By the next morning, Jaden was reenergized as he wolfed down his food like he always did, but Fonda advised him to not duel for a few weeks. Shortly thereafter, Hassleberry and Jim dueled each other because the electromagnetic energy waves affected the Ra Yellow student's dinosaur DNA, landing both of them in the nurse's office after Jim won.

Michael and Ray have heard what was happening to their friends, but they weren't the only ones losing energy. The students all over Duel Academy were getting drained so bad that they started acting delusional; at one point, Syrus mentioned that he was a wimpy sidekick with nothing important to move the plot along. The couple got suspicious about these Bio-Bands because they were making everyone think they were characters in a TV show. Their behavior was in a very similar manner to the comedic style of a British creator of a popular online abridged series.

At the same time, they also got invitations for a tournament Adrian was hosting in the Obelisk Blue dorm. Needless to say, the two weren't interested.

"Should we go?" Michael asked.

"I'm not sure," Ray admitted. "We're trying to stay undercover, so it might be a bit suspicious to attend the tournament and not participate."

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Michael asked.

"Well… What if we just hang out in my dorm?" Ray suggested.

"An Obelisk slumber party?" Michael asked. "For discussing dueling strategies?"

"Uh… Sure!" Ray answered, sounding a bit too cheerful with that outburst.

"Great," Michael answered. "We could use a break to take our minds off of these Survival Duels."

On the night the tournament took place, Ray and Michael hung out in her dorm room to discuss new strategies they can come up with and experiment through tabletop duels. He was right about them taking a break from Survival Duels… Maybe a little too right. His girlfriend seemed to be showing subtle hints of a change in behavior as they dueled.

"Uh… Ray?" Michael asked, noticing his girlfriend was staring at his chest. "My eyes are up here."

"What?" Ray asked. It sounded like she was snapping out of a trance. "Sorry. I use Hope Dragon Flower's special ability to special summon Arcana Force VI - The Lovers-"

"That's Hope Dragon Wind," Michael corrected.

Ray looked down on her side of the field to see her Wind dragon, not Flower. She lifted her head up and apologized, with a light hint of blush forming on her cheeks. Michael noticed she was a bit off tonight, but he wasn't sure why.

"Are you alright?" Michael asked.

"I'm not sure," Ray admitted. "But you sure have grown over the past four years."

"You too," Michael agreed. "You survived electro-shock abuse and managed to recover from that. I'm amazed on how well you recovered."

"That's not why I meant…" Ray shyly admitted.

It was true that the two have grown during their time at Duel Academy. When they first attended there, they were young teens who were childhood friends and had no idea the amazing surprises and changes Ray would bring with her talent for sewing and natural fashion instinct. Now they are legal adults who were the best students—along with Jaden, who was Duel Academy's best Duelist—and have been dating for a couple years. However, it wasn't their personalities that have matured; their bodies have as well, which the Hope Dragon user was referring to.

Michael blushed, realizing what Ray was talking about. "Are you saying you want a break from dueling?" He asked, taking note on Ray's now-longer hair.

"Of course," Ray answered. "I am getting a bit tired from all these practices."

Michael was preparing to organize his cards and put them away when he heard a noise from across the table. He lifted his head up see where it came from, only to be surprised by a kiss from Ray, who had reached to his side to lock lips with him. As he dropped his cards, he almost instantaneously gave in as his left hand caressed her right cheek, with her arms wrapped around his body and her hands firmly grasping onto his shoulders.

Not too long after that, Viper was in the old research Super Animal Learning—or SAL—lab where Wheeler the Monkey was being experimented on a couple years ago. Inside it contained the equipment used for the Survival Duels and a canister filled with some kind of liquid containing orange fluid-like blobs and a mysterious eye.

Suddenly, a large blob had materialized in the canister. "What's this?" Viper asked aloud.

He noticed the large blob reflecting off of one of the computer screens that was monitoring various locations of Duel Academy and the jungle underneath the lab. He got off from his seat and walked over to the canister to see the shut eye surrounded by the orange substance, with one of them more voluminous than the rest. He assumed that this must be from all the students that attended Adrian's tournament.

"Well done, Mr. Gecko," Viper said. "I thought the procedure would take the whole school year to complete, but your plan seems to have sped up the process."

The next morning, a sleeping Ray slowly woke up to hear faint sounds within close proximity. Her eyes gradually opened wider to help wake her up and she could make out that she was in bed with someone as heard by the barely audible snoring and seen by the blanket covering the two of them; however, she felt the fabric covering her entire body from the neck down and his body from the torso down with their bare skins. She asked herself if they did what she thought they did last night, with a voice stating the usual four-word sentence to basically answer her internal question.

"Leo will never know…" Michael muttered in his sleep.

Ray's eyes then shot wide opened as she quickly remembered what happened last night. What started as innocent kissing gradually became more passionate. He untied her pigtails as their uniforms were discarded and the next thing she knew, they were in her bed having sex. Although she enjoyed having her first time doing it with him, she immediately got worried about what may happen as a result of them losing their virginities; will she end up getting pregnant?

"Michael?" Ray asked softly, stroking his hair in hopes of him waking up. "What are we going to do now?"

No response except the sound of him still snoring. Did the two having sex tucker him out that much? Ray smiled, admiring how cute her boyfriend looks in a relaxed state.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. "Ray? Are you up yet?"

Ray bolted upwards, covering her nude body with the blanket because she recognized that voice anywhere: it was Alexis. Was there something important that she wanted to tell her?

"Don't come in yet!" Ray exclaimed, feeling incredibly nervous. "I'm not dressed yet!"

She jumped off the bed to grab her clothes off the floor and ran into the bathroom to get dressed. Alexis politely waited outside of the dorm room to give her privacy, but she couldn't help but notice how worrisome her classmate sounded. Regardless, she needed to tell her about what happened to most of the Ra Yellow and Obelisk Blue students after Adrian's tournament.

Ultimately Ray was able to get dressed and she left her dorm as she tied her hair up in pigtails. "Sorry about that," she said, sounding a bit tired. "So what did you want to tell me?"

"It's about Adrian's tournament," Alexis explained. "By the time it was done, nearly everyone participating in it passed out."

The news shocked Ray; at least what happened last night was actually a good thing since she and Michael didn't participate. She followed Alexis inside Duel Academy and into the gym, where they met up with Jaden, Jesse, Syrus, Hassleberry, and Jim. They looked down onto the gymnasium floor to see the unconscious students scattered everywhere in sleeping bags and blankets; the number of casualties was so high that bot all of them could fit into the infirmary.

"Ray!" Jaden exclaimed, rushing over to the Obelisk Blue junior fashion designer. "You're alright!"

"Of course I'm alright," Ray said. "I ended up having a small sleepover with Michael last night."

"A sleepover, huh?" Jaden asked. "Sounds pretty sweet."

"Yeah…" Ray agreed, blushing slightly. "It was."

After that exchange, Ray and the others stared at the students who fell victim to the Bio-Bands, which frustrated Jaden because of the recent events going on at the school. They all decided to talk to Crowler and Bonaparte—who had joined the Academy's faculty last year—about where Sheppard is, only for them to find out he was away and left the two in charge until he gets back. Without any idea on how to stop Viper, Jaden and Jesse explained how everyone was losing energy and how the Bio-Bands are irremovable unless if it resorted to a brutal last resort.

At that moment, Syrus noticed Ray's bare wrists. "Hold on," he said. "Ray, why aren't you wearing a Bio-Band?"

"Because I thought they were electro-shock devices," Ray explained. "Ever since that incident with the Society of Light, I've been getting panic attacks whenever I see those devices." Her hand slowly moved to her neck. "I was afraid of falling victim to another round of abuse."

She never forgot her first panic attack during the Genex Tournament back when Syrus lost to Zane. Seeing the two getting shocked whenever they lose Life Points was one thing, but seeing her Ra Yellow classmate pass out from electrocution took the cake as it fully triggered her.

"Panic attacks?" Jesse asked.

"It's kinda a long story," Jaden replied. "Right now, we need to focus on our current problem."

They then went to the Obelisk Blue dorm to see if Adrian was awake; after his victory against Chazz, they collapsed from energy loss and were now recovering in the dorm room and the nurse's office respectively. Fortunately, despite being bedridden, he was conscious enough to tell them the location of Viper's headquarters. He informed them the Venom user was residing in the SAL lab in the forest, with Syrus commenting that their encounter with Wheeler was "a weird episode". They then left the dorm to make their way to the forest, unaware that this was a distraction for Adrian to infiltrate the old lab on his own.

"So Ray, where's Michael?" Jaden asked.

"He's still sleeping," Ray answered.

Her companions started to grow concerned about Michael still sleeping; he's usually not the kind of person to oversleep like that. "You sure he's just sleepin'?" Hassleberry asked.

"I'm sure," Ray replied. "He was perfectly alright last night after…" She blushed.

The gang wondered what Ray was going to say until Alexis remembered stopping by her dorm room earlier. She asked her if she was okay because she sounded extremely fidgety through the door. "I think I saw someone in your bed," the Ritual user recalled. "Was that Michael?"

Ray wasn't sure how to respond, but her blushing face said everything her friends needed to know. "You slept with him, didn't ya?" Jesse asked.

"Okay, yes, I did!" Ray admitted. "But it's not a big deal!"

"It kind of is," Syrus said. "What if that's why Michael is sleeping heavily?"

He does have a point; sleeping with someone and not fully waking up due to the heavy slumber was kinda important to recognize. Ray remembered that Michael did speak in his sleep and concluded that their first time must have exhausted him.

"The poor guy must have been wiped out," Ray said. "Although it was pretty exhausting for me too. The last thing I remember before falling asleep was a flash of light from Michael's wrist-"

Her sentence was cut short as her face changed into an expression that says, "Oh, crap". The other six students saw her shocked realization at what she didn't finish stating. Just as Jim was about to snap her back into reality, she blurted out how the Bio-Bands can apparently drain people's energy through sex and not only duels.

"But Michael wasn't like the other students from the tournament," Ray recalled. "He never passed out. He's just sleeping."

"Are you sure?" Alexis asked.

"I heard his light snores," Ray answered. "I know he's sleeping."

She has known Michael for over ten years and can tell he was sleeping to regain his strength after last night based on what she determined. They all settled on checking up on him once they've dealt with Viper.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the SAL lab and entered through an automatic door which was opened by Viper, who was setting up a trap for them. After searching the interior of the building, they came across an elevator that leads to the basement. Jim's device detected high levels of electromagnetic waves, meaning they were on the right track. With Jesse taking charge as leader and reminding everyone to stay alert in case of traps, they gathered into the elevator and descended down into the basement, which looked more like a jungle than an actual basement.

"What happened to Chazz last night?" Ray asked.

"He dueled Adrian last night," Jaden answered. "Apparently he got suspicious about his motives."

"Well I hope Chazz is alright," Ray said, sounding a bit sad.

"You still like that guy?" Hassleberry asked.

"He was originally in Obelisk Blue," Ray said. "I know he's now in Slifer Red, but I believe us Obelisk students have to stick together and look out for each other."

This was a belief she stood with throughout her time at Duel Academy, as seen when she helped Damon and Belowski during the Genex Tournament. After all, those who were ranked in Obelisk Blue will always be an Obelisk student in her eyes, regardless if they end up in different dorm or not.

Shortly after the elevator reached the floor of the basement, the doors opened to let everyone out and into the artificial jungle. They split up with Jim, Alexis, and Hassleberry heading in one direction and Ray tagging along with Jaden, Jesse, and Syrus in the opposite direction. As quickly as they begun the search, the lights went out, which was the result of Adrian successfully infiltrating the old lab and hacking the control panel to kill the power in the basement and all but one of Viper's cameras.

The search ended up with a rocky start for both groups; Hassleberry and Alexis ran for cover while Jim and his pet crocodile Shirley were fighting against a tiger that was about to attack them. As the two students ran, Alexis fell through a trap door. At the same time, Jaden got separated from Jesse, Syrus, and Ray in the heat of the moment, only for him to be lured into a trap set by Mr. Stein, a professor in Duel Academy. He took the Slifer Red student to the locked door and challenged him to a duel; if Jaden won, the door will unlock and open, but he'll also find out soon enough that it comes with a terrible price.

Throughout the duel, Mr. Stein used a Scab Counter archetype to take control of Jaden's Elemental Heroes and Neo-Spacians through the effect of Scab Scar Knight and kept bringing back Scab Blast from the Graveyard to inflict more damage to him. The professor also blamed him for having the students sleep in class and not showing up at all because he was the Academy's best Duelist, without showing any care if the student didn't mean to do it. He believed everyone was following their role model's footsteps, with Alexis being the last student to stop attending class; however, Michael and Ray always showed up on time to his classes and paid attention to the lessons, making them his favorite students. Speaking of Ray, she returned to the elevator with Syrus and Jesse, who informed the two that the killed power must have also deactivated it as well. They then heard Jaden's voice from across the basement and ran to where it came from.

As Mr. Stein continued to accuse Jaden, a hologram of Viper interrupted them to show Alexis trapped in a room that was filling up with water. The more Life Points Stein loses, the faster the water fills up until she drowns when his LP reach 0, disturbing the two until they were shown footage of why Alexis stopped going to class. She told Jasmine and Mindy that she didn't like the lessons being taught, prompting the teacher to continue the duel. At one point, he activated his face-down Scab Scream to destroy Elemental Hero Neos and tributed Scab Scarknight to special summon Scar Knight, his most beloved card and Spirit Partner. During his time as a pro Duelist, he would use its effect to win multiple duels; consequently, it became more battle-damaged as his views on life altered. His exhaustion from getting a teaching degree didn't help, especially during his unfinished duel against The D, causing him to retire and become a teacher at Duel Academy.

Meanwhile, with Hassleberry and Jim, they haven't had any luck in finding Alexis, but Shirley found the trap door in which she fell into. Although they weren't able to open it, she led them to the waterfall that was most likely filling up the room below. She and her owner swam underwater to find said room and demolished the wall to rescue the Obelisk Blue student. Jaden saw this and can now finish the duel without any worries. He ended his turn by summoning Chrysalis Larva and playing a face-down. Stein used Scar Knight's effect to destroy itself and all monsters on both sides of the field to result in a draw, but the face-down Cocoon Veil protected his opponent from any damage by tributing Larva, causing him to lose. He saw Scar Knight fall onto the bridge and picked it up, but the Bio-Band drained his energy and he fell into the abyss. Jaden tried to rescue him, but fell unconscious as his Bio-Band sucked his energy out as well to feed the devilish eye.


	6. Duel Spirits Revealed

Ultimately Jesse, Syrus, and Ray found Jaden lying unconscious. Syrus went off to get some water, while Jesse and Ray stayed with Jaden. The Crystal Beast user let out a sad sigh, gently touching Jaden's cheek.

"It's going to be alright," Ray said.

"I know," Jesse said. He smiled softly. "Funny how meetin' a guy like Jay can change your whole life. One minute you're tryin' to recover after your folks kick ya outta the house for not followin' family traditions, the next ya meet a guy who's practically everythin' you're lookin' for in a soulmate."

Jesse never brought up his family at all because southerners are typically more conservative than others. While growing up, he didn't believe in those "traditions" because his home country has changed over the last few centuries; more people were more liberal and he felt this philosophy met with his standards. Unfortunately, his relatives didn't accept his beliefs and threw him out into the streets for not meeting their expectations. Deep down, he has been struggling to cope with that incident until the day he first met Jaden. There was something about him that attracted the North Academy student, which became clearer as they hung out more.

"Soulmate…" That word ran through Ray's mind just as Jesse finished his sentence. She remembered seeing the exhibition match at the start of the new school year, where it looked like he and Jaden were flirting with each other. A thought soon struck her that made her realize that he was actually gay.

"Did your parents kick you out because you're gay?" Ray asked.

"They sure did," Jesse answered, sounding a bit heartbroken. "Growin' up, my folks were plannin' on me marryin' that Westshire dame. She's a nice gal, but I never considered her as anythin' more than a good friend. 'Course it didn't take a long time for me realize my attractions were towards other fellas. I told my folks 'bout it, but…" His expression became heartbroken. "…they didn't take it very well." Tears started pouring down his face. "There was a lot of yellin' 'bout breakin' marriage traditions. Next thing I knew, I was kicked outta the house. Now the Crystal Beasts are the only family I have."

He felt like he couldn't stop the tears from streaming down his cheeks because of how fast his old life went. He never thought he would be rejected by his own family just because of a difference in personal beliefs. Ray lightly patted his back and wrapped her arms around him to embrace him in a comforting hug.

"You're not the only one who suffered," Ray said, still comforting Jesse. "When I was younger, the popularity of Duel Disks caused my dad's business to go bankrupt. I ended up selling my hair and my old cards to help out. My dad did get a stable job, but it took us years to get a new house. My new deck containing the Hope Dragons symbolizes my hope for a bright future."

Jesse looked over his left shoulder to see Ray still hugging him, with his eyes overflowing with tears. He never knew about her father owning a gaming company and was informed on the concept of creating Action Duels. The idea was to implement mass into Solid Vision to have Duelists interact with their monsters and the duel field, but Kaiba was more concerned about the risk of the monsters growing sentient and causing armageddon, so he rejected it. She honestly felt like it was for the best because she has grown to enjoy this new life she was living. She has an amazing boyfriend and is a well-known Duelist around the Academy for modifying the uniform policy and her powerful skills with her Hope Dragons.

"Ya don't…feel bad 'bout what coulda been?" Jesse asked, his voice laced with sorrow.

"I used to," Ray answered. "But I came to realize Kaiba could have been right about Solid Vision with mass causing the end of the world. Besides, if Action Duels were made into a reality, I probably wouldn't have met the love of my life. You just have to keep in mind that things happen for a reason."

Jesse realized that she may be right; if he hadn't told his family about his sexuality, then, he wouldn't have gotten the Crystal Beasts, attended North Academy, and meet his soulmate at Duel Academy. He encircled his arms around her and thanked her for the reassurance as he struggled to hold back his sobs. The two friends remained in each other's arm until he managed to calm down; shortly after that, Jaden started to regain consciousness and asked them what happened. They told him they found him passed out in front of Viper's unlocked door after dueling against Stein and Syrus went off to get some water and look for help. The Slifer Red student knew Viper was bound to cause more trouble with the Bio-Bands and these Survival Duels, so he tried to go after him, but due to his weakened state, he needed some rest.

Just as Jaden was about to tell a story of how he was a magnet for "power-crazy loonies", the trio heard the sound of a motorcycle and Jesse knew exactly who that was. He told Jaden and Ray how he saw the Duel Monster Spirit of Jerry Beans Man and followed it to see a young boy named Tom, who explained that someone forced him into a duel and lost his card through the Ante Rule. Ever since then, he has been searching for him until now.

"So you've been searching for this Trapper person ever since?" Ray asked.

"Yep," Jesse answered. "But I never did find 'em. I came close a few times, but Trapper caught on pretty quickly and always stayed one step ahead. Now this may sound crazy, but I saw 'em down here."

"You sure?" Jaden asked.

Just then, the sound of wicked laughter was heard. "Is that…?" Jaden asked.

"Yep," Jesse responded. "I know that laugh anywhere."

Suddenly, Ray heard a soft, melodic roar from her deck. She took it out and looked at the first card she saw: Hope Dragon Bird. "Was that you?" she asked, surprised to hear sound coming from her cards.

Just as Jesse ran towards the doors entrance, he too heard Bird's roar and turned around to see the card's spirit. "You must be one of Ray's Hope Dragons," he realized. "Guess ya wanted to help too."

Bird growled "Yes" and flew over to the door just as the spirits of two Crystal Beasts appeared.

"Okey doke, Jess," Sapphire Pegasus said as he emerged alongside Topaz Tiger.

"It's feeding time," Topaz Tiger declared. "And I see fresh meat." As he was wrapping up his sentence, he leapt up into the air.

"Wait!" Jesse yelled out. He saw a whip being used and it was heading straight for Topaz Tiger.

"Look out!" shouted Sapphire Pegasus as he and Hope Dragon Bird pushed the tiger out of the way to take the whip, electrocuting them both. While the dragon roared in pain, the pegasus exclaimed, "Great Scott!"

A disquiet Jesse hollered, "Not Ray's dragon and my pegasus!"

Jaden walked to the side of the entrance, using the wall as support. "What's going on? Is it Trapper?" he asked.

"The one and only," Jesse answered.

Ray looked heartbroken. "What's going on?" she asked, clutching her head in pain. "I heard Hope Dragon Bird's pained cries."

"Wait, ya can't see what's goin' on?" Jesse asked.

Ray shook her head 'no' in response. Why was this suddenly happening to her? Is this how Michael communicates with his dragons?

As Trapper laughed maniacally, two capsules attached to dark pieces of rope shot up and imprisoned Sapphire Pegasus and Hope Dragon Bird, with the two neighing and roaring from inside. "Well whaddya know?" he asked. "Two spirits for the price of one!"

"No!" Jesse yelled as Ray gasped in horror.

"No way, bro," Jaden commented. "He can trap spirits too?"

Trapper turned his head around to see the trio, chuckling at the Crystal Beast and Hope Dragon users. "Your little pony and lizard are mine now," he remarked. He revved up his motorcycle and drove away, taking the capsules containing Bird and Sapphire Pegasus with him.

"Tiger, come on back, boy," Jesse instructed before Topaz Tiger's spirit disappeared. Facing his friends, he then said just as he was taking off, "Jaden and Ray, stay here. He's mine."

Worried about her dragon, Ray called out, "Hold up! Wait for me, Jesse!"

"Wait! Ugh!" The fatigue was starting to effect Jaden's body as he saw the others chasing after Trapper. "Wait. Be…careful…" His body collapsed onto the floor as he fainted yet again.

"Ray, I told ya to stay back!" Jesse said as the two ran.

"I'm not going to stay behind!" Ray insisted, her stubbornness showing. "My Hope Dragons mean a lot to me! They saved me from a life of sorrow, so now it's my turn to save them!"

"Well alright," Jesse said. "But I don't want ya to get hurt."

The two ran through another open—albeit busted—door and into an empty room, where they saw Trapper with their monsters. As he straightened his whip, the capsules launched up into the air and stabilizers were locked in place on the ceiling and floor to keep them in place.

Ray looked at the capsules. "Hope Dragon Bird!" she exclaimed. "Are you alright?!" She held the card up to her ear. "Please speak to me!"

"She can't respond," Jesse explained. "From the looks of it, she looks unconscious."

Ray clutched her chest in pain. "No!" she exclaimed. "She can't be…!" Her eyes were brimming with tears.

"Don't worry, Ray," Jesse said. "I'll get your dragon back."

He then proceeded to begin his duel against Trapper after playing cat-and-mouse with each other for too long. Unfortunately, the first few turns were very dicey for southern Duelist because of Lure Phantom, who was in defense position, and the Hunting Net Trap cards. Despite having 0 ATK and DEF, the Level 1 DARK Fiend-Type Monster's effect causes itself and the attacking monster to return to their owners' hands. What's worse is Hunting Net causes to place the returning monster in the Spell & Trap Card Zone while adding a Prey Counter on it—which was used a couple times on Amethyst Cat.

During the due, Jesse and Ray learn that there was a reason why they needed to rescue their monsters. At the beginning of his turn, they noticed Sapphire Pegasus and Hope Dragon Bird were breathing heavily, as if they were having trouble getting air. Trapper explained he uses those capsules to isolate Duel Monster Spirits from their cards, using Gokipon as an example. Duel Monsters need the energy from the Spirit World to survive, but the capsules prevents them from doing so; Gokipon's capsule glowed yellow and vanished from existence, killing it in the process. This revelation angered Jesse and horrified Ray because the lives of their captured monsters were at stake.

"What just happened?!" Ray asked, looking at her Hope Dragon Bird card. "Is Hope Dragon Bird…?!"

"Relax, Ray," Jesse said, understanding that Ray can't see Duel Monster Spirits. "That wasn't Hope Dragon Bird. She's still alright."

He pointed towards the capsule where her dragon was concealed in. Ray may not have the same ability as him, but she knows the capsule next to Sapphire Pegasus' hasn't vanished yet and began to calm down a little. However, she suddenly heard three distinct roars from her deck.

Curious, Ray took out her cards. It was Hope Dragon Flower, Hope Dragon Wind, and Hope Dragon Moon! "What's that?" the red-haired Duelist asked. "You want to join in too?" She heard the roars again. "Alright Trapper, I'm joining in!" She proceeded to activate her Duel Disk.

What was originally a 1-on-1 duel now became a 2-on-1 duel because Moon, Wind, and Flower want to rescue their sister and there was no way they were going to be bystanders in this situation. "What's this?" Trapper asked. "You think your dragons could stop me?"

"These aren't ordinary dragons," Ray said. "They're my Hope Dragons. And I refuse to let you capture one of their sisters!"

"Hope Dragons, huh?" Trapper asked. "I've heard all about those dragons. They can restrict monster zones and restore life points." A wicked grin appeared on his face. "With those dragons in my deck, I'll be unstoppable!"

Ray scowled at the thought of her dragons being taken away from this inhumane hunter. At first, she was thinking that he was a monster, but she didn't want to insult the spirits. With 4000 LP, she let Jesse carry out his turn before she could start hers. He summoned Amber Mammoth and have it attack Lure Phantom, but Trapper activated his face-down Capture Snare; it has a similar effect to Hunting Net, but it targets attacking monsters when there's at least one Prey Counter. With no monsters on the field, Jesse passed the turn to Ray.

Ray looked at her opening hand and smirked. "I'll start things off with Lord of Dragons and Flute of Summoning Dragons!" she declared. "Allowing me to bring out two of my star dragons: Hope Dragon Flower and Hope Dragon Moon!"

The two dragons flew into the field as they bellowed out their trademark roars. While it was true the Hope Dragons can restrict Monster Zones and restore Life Points, they each have their own distinct abilities. Flower is immune to battle damage, Bird can inflict 200 life points worth of damage for every opposing monster on the field, Wind has an ability to target a Spellcaster from the Graveyard and directly inflict damage equal to the target's Level x 200, and Moon can attack twice in one turn.

"I activate Hope Dragon Flower and Hope Dragon Moon's special abilities!" Ray continued. "Since I summoned both of them, I can block two of your monster zones and gain 100 life points for each blocked monster zone! But that's not all! Using Hope Dragon Flower's other special ability, I can special summon Arcana Force VI - The Lovers in defense mode!"

As Ray's LP increased to 4200, The Lovers materialized between her and Jesse in defense position with its arms reached out. To her, it means the monster is shielding herself and Michael due to their undying love for each other; however, since he wasn't here at the moment, it was protecting her and Jesse, much to his confusion.

"What the?!" Jesse asked. "Since when could a monster defend like that?"

"This card originally belonged to Sartorius," Ray explained. "But he discarded it when he manipulated me and lied about my future. Michael was able to retrieve it and he gave it to me, revealing that my future is with him. Since then, Arcana Force VI - The Lovers symbolizes the strong bond I have with my soulmate."

Whether he's nearby or afar, Ray always knew she was meant to be with Michael, giving The Lovers a unique bond with her. "I would attack, but I don't want to risk losing the other Hope Dragons," she said, placing a card face down. "So I'll have to end my turn."

At the start of Trapper's turn, he tributed Lure Phantom to summon Infernal Beasthound and used it to attack Jesse directly, who played his face-down G Force to Special Summon Cobalt Eagle, but the face-down Trap Jammer negated and destroyed G Force. After the direct attack, Infernal Beasthound's effect destroyed Cobalt Eagle from his hand, resulting in it to become a Continuous Spell thanks to its ability. Before Trapper ended his turn with a face-down, Jesse and Ray recalled in their heads on why they needed to save Sapphire Pegasus and Hope Dragon Bird: they meant so much to the duo and felt like they were part of their families. In Jesse's case, when he was dueling in a tournament one day, the creator of Duel Monsters known as Maximillion Pegasus witnessed the Crystal Beasts reacting to the young foreigner's duel and he knew they had found their rightful owner. As for Ray, it was when she and Leo were still living in poverty and she had given up on being a Duelist…that is, until not long after Battle City had ended and a while before Doma unleashed its Orichalcos mayhem upon the world.

Ray started trembling at the thought of losing her precious dragons. "You alright, Ray?" Jesse asked.

"I won't let you get away with this!" Ray shouted at Trapper. "The Hope Dragons mean so much to me!"

"Oh, I already know all about your dragons," Trapper said. "I was initially plannin' on capturing all seven Crystal Beasts to unlock Rainbow Dragon, but gettin' your Hope Dragons as well will be mighty sweet."

"Don't you dare!" Ray exclaimed, showing both rage and sorrow in her eyes.

"Well why not?" Trapper asked. "Sure Rainbow Dragon's got a lot of power, but when all four Hope Dragons merge into one, they can prevent any opponent from summoning any monsters. Why wouldn't I want that for my deck?"

"Ray, don't let him get to-" Jesse began to say.

"How dare you!" Ray exclaimed. "My four Hope Dragons are pieces of my own soul! They represent the hope I have for a bright future!" Her eyes started to tear up. "So if you want them, you're going to have to get past me!"

Jesse was caught off guard and surprised by Ray's sudden outburst. There was something about her small speech that made it clear of why she and her dragons were connected: the strong-willed tenacity of Flower, the ambitious strength of Moon, the graceful beauty of Wind, and the feminine determination of Bird. They each represented a different identity that when put together would become the brave and powerful force known as Nature. She is that embodiment of Nature and losing her dragons would be losing what could be considered a reincarnation of her. No matter how difficult the situation may be, the traits she possessed are what made her who she is today. She is an Akaba and Akabas never give up!

"Well if you want, you can go up next," Jesse suggested.

"Really?" Ray asked.

"If the dragons mean that much to you, then sure," Jesse said.

"Alright," Ray said. She drew a card. "I'll start things off with the Spell card Graceful Charity, allowing me to draw two cards in exchange for discarding two cards that were already in my hand."

Jesse looked surprise as Ray sent two cards to the Graveyard. Was it just his imagination, or was one of those two cards Hope Dragon Bird?

"Now by tributing Lord of Dragons and The Lovers, I'll summon Hope Dragon Wind!" Ray continued.

Hope Dragon Wind materialized onto the spot where Lord of Dragons was and soared through the air, unleashing her roar to finish her summoning sequence.

"Now I'll activate Hope Dragon Wind's special ability!" Ray declared. "Since Lord of Dragons is a Spellcaster-Type monster, she'll transfer his level into effect damage, so you lose 800 life points!"

"Ray, what're you thinking?" Jesse asked. "You know-"

"That Trapper will capture my dragons if they attack?" Ray asked in response. "That's why I have Hope Dragon Wind. This isn't an attack, so my dragon is perfectly safe."

In other words, Ray might have found Trapper's weakness: effect damage. Their opponent relies on their monsters attacking him so that he can unleash his traps like the animal—or Duel Spirit—hunter that he is. However, by not declaring attacks and using any of their monsters' effects that deals damage instead, they may be able to obtain the advantage and rescue Hope Dragon Bird and Sapphire Pegasus.

But as Hope Dragon Wind used her special ability to deal out 800 points worth of effect damage, Jesse glanced at Ray's face down card. "Is that card what I think it is?" he asked.

But Ray didn't answer. "I get what you're tryin' to do," Jesse said. "So why dontcha play it?"

"Because it might be risky," Ray said, glancing at the two capsules. "I don't want to put any of my dragons in danger. That's why I'll have to end my turn without attacking, just like during my previous turn."

With her turn over, it was now Jesse's and he started it off by summoning Crystal Beast Topaz Tiger and have him attack Infernal Blasthound, but Trapper's face-down Trap Hole destroyed it, resulting in its target to become a Continuous Spell card. Jesse then activated Rare Value where, if he has at least one Crystal Beast in Spell and Trap Card Zone, he can send one of them to the Graveyard and draw two cards. From his hand, he played E Force to special summon Topaz Tiger in attack position and destroyed Infernal Blasthound, reducing Trapper's Life Points from 3200 to 2200 thanks to its effect of gaining 400 ATK during the damage step. With his monster destroyed, Trapper activated its effect to special summon another Infernal Blasthound, leading to Jesse playing his face-down Triggered Summon to special summon Emerald Turtle in attack position and his M Force to increase its ATK by 500. Another attack was declared and Trapper was down to 2100 Life Points, but he special summoned yet another Infernal Blasthound in defense position this time.

Jesse ended his turn and passed it on to Trapper, who simply set a card face down before switching it over to Ray. However, after she drew a card, she glanced at her own face down. "I use Hope Dragon Wind's special ability to deal another 800 life points to you!" she announced, prompting the dragon to deal out effect damage to a Trapper. "Then I'll…" However, she hesitated.

"What is it Ray?" Jesse asked.

"I… I'll end my turn," Ray decided.

"Come on, Ray!" Jesse said. "I know that face down's your Call of the Haunted! I know what you plan on doin'!"

"But I can't risk Hope Dragon Bird's safety!" Ray exclaimed. She clutched her chest. "Somehow I can feel her sorrow! She's hurt! What if using that card is too risky?"

Jesse was surprised to hear that. "You sure care 'bout your Hope Dragons more than I care 'bout my Crystal Beasts." He drew a card. "But don't worry. I understand what you're tryin' to do."

"Really?" Ray asked.

Jesse nodded in response. "But don't you worry. We'll take Trapper down together. I just know it."

Ray smiled softly. "Thanks Jesse," she said.

"Don't mention it," Jesse said. "Now for my next turn, I think I'll switch Emerald Turtle back to attack mode. Now take out his Blast Hound, Emerald Turtle!"

Emerald Turtle got into his shell and spun it around, shooting out green curved blades that destroyed the third Infernal Hound, crippling Trapper's Life Points from 1300 to 700. Jesse then declared a direct attack with Topaz Tiger, securing a win for him and Ray. Trapper laid on the ground due to getting clawed by Topaz Tiger; he couldn't believe that she had determined a way to turn the duel in their favor. If she hadn't interfered, I would've been the victor, he thought to himself. His eyes glanced at the capsules where Hope Dragon Bird and Sapphire Pegasus were and shifted to his shirt pocket when he suddenly had an idea. He might have lost the duel, but there may be another way for him to get what he wants. Desperate times call for desperate measure, he stated in his head.

As the monsters and face-down cards disappeared (with the exception of Ray's Hope Dragons), Jesse and Ray were about to walk towards Trapper when orange light began to glow from the Bio-Bands. The energy drain took a toll on both male Duelists, resulting in the Crystal Beast user to fall down on his knees.

"Don't move!" Trapper exclaimed, holding up a familiar card. "Or the little guy gets it!"

Ray and a weakened Jesse gasped in shock at what the drained Trapper was holding: the stolen Jerry Beans Man! The latter had barely enough energy to sit up, but he could only support himself with one knee; shortly after that, the spirit of Jerry Beans Man appeared next to Trapper, which was only visible to him and Jesse. Although Ray may be able to communicate with Duel Spirits and not actually see them, she was convinced that the captured spirit residing in that card was still there. But for how long though?

"I might not be able to see Duel Spirits, but I know stealing someone else's card is wrong!" Ray exclaimed. "Now unhand that card before-"

"Gotcha!"

A voice echoed throughout the empty room where the trio were and it instantly sounded recognizable to Ray and Jesse. They all looked up to see Jaden holding onto a rope and swinging his way across the room. His extended legs kicked Trapper back onto the floor, losing his grip onto the Jerry Beans Man card. Right as Jaden landed, he saw it gliding through the air and managed to grab it.

"It's all good," Jaden said. "I got him. He's okay. Now go save your Pegasus!"

"Alright," Jesse said. "Now I summon Sapphire Pegasus!"

But Trapper let out a laugh. "Ya really think that could help?"

"Maybe not," Jesse said. "But I noticed Ray was plannin' the same strategy, so I suspect she was on to somethin'."

He briefly looked at Ray, who nodded her head because she was glad he caught on to her strategy during their duel. She didn't want to take any risks playing her face-down card because she feared her dragons would get captured; fortunately, Jesse knew why she was hesitant on playing that card: they needed to find the right moment to free their monsters, which was why she relied on effect damage as a way to win. However, now that the duel was over, the other Hope Dragons were going to be safe. She could finally put her plan into action.

"In response to Sapphire Pegasus being summoned, I activate the Trap card Call of the Haunted!" Ray declared. "This will allow me to retrieve Hope Dragon Bird from my Graveyard! So take flight once more, Hope Dragon Bird!"

The cards were the keys to the Duel Spirits' survival as they harness the energy from the Duel Monster Spirit World in order to exist in the real world. Trapper's capsules prevent the spirits from gaining that energy and seeks to terminate them, but that was not the case for Hope Dragon Bird and Sapphire Pegasus. With the cards summoned onto their owners' Duel Disks, their capsules started to glow purple and sapphire blue respectively before shattering the glass and soaring onto their individual sides of the field. Jaden, Jesse, and Ray were all glad that the two monsters were finally free, much to the hunter's shocked dismay.

"Welcome back, buddy," Jesse told Sapphire Pegasus.

"It's great to see you again, Hope Dragon Bird," Ray said as the other three Hope Dragons were reunited with their sister.

"My sisters… It is so good to see you again."

"Aw, we missed you too, sis!"

"We couldn't stand letting you get hurt."

"Just don't do something that reckless again, okay?"

Bird couldn't help it; she was determined yet stubborn, but she was going to make sure serious situations like that don't happen to her or her sisters from now on.

Wait, did Ray actually hear her Hope Dragons speak?

Hope Dragon Flower quickly noticed Ray's surprised expression. "Uh, my sisters…" she said. "I think our mistress is staring at us."

The other three Hope Dragons noticed Ray. "Mistress Akaba, why are you looking at us with such a peculiar expression?" Hope Dragon Bird asked.

"You… You can talk…" Ray stammered a bit.

"Well duh!" Hope Dragon Wind exclaimed. "We're not savages!"

"But your voices…" Ray said. "Why do they sound just like my own voice?"

She was right; they do sound like her own voice, but they were rather different from one another. They each have varying pitches based on their personalities that help make themselves more individually noticeable to the Duelists. Hope Dragon Flower's voice was cheerful and bubbly, Hope Dragon Moon's voice sounded stern and rather serious, Hope Dragon Wind's voice made her sound cutesy, and Hope Dragon Bird spoke in a melodic and soothing tone.

"It's like what you said during our duel," Hope Dragon Moon explained. "We're pieces of your soul. Our spirits are forever bounded to yours."

"That is why you are our chosen mistress," Hope Dragon Bird said. "When we combine our powers, we create a ray of hope for a bright future."

"And it's our job to keep that ray of hope shining bright," Hope Dragon Flower continued.

"Besides, some of us have taken a liking to your boyfriend's dragons," Hope Dragon Wind added, sneaking glances at Hope Dragons Flower and Moon.

Ray immediately knew that Wind was referring to Odd-Eyes Dragon and Starving Venom Fusion Dragon. She had no idea Flower and Moon harbored feelings for them. But what about Wind and Bird? They haven't met their crushes yet, but based on what was already given, she had a feeling Michael will receive two more dragons in the future.

"Michael…" Ray said, her expression changing to that of sorrow. "I hope he's alright."

"Don't worry," Hope Dragon Moon said. "I suspect that he's still sleeping. But for now, we have to focus on defeating this new threat."

Ray smiled softly. "Thanks guys," she said. Then in a flash of light, the dragons disappeared as she deactivated her Duel Disk.

"Congratulations Ray!" Jaden happily said. "You can finally communicate with your Hope Dragons!"

"Wait, you guys didn't hear what they said?" Ray asked.

"Not one bit," Jesse answered. "All I heard were a buncha roars and growls."

"Same here," Jaden said.

Ray glanced at the still-unconscious Trapper. "At least he's taken care of," she said. "So with that diversion out of the way, let's meet up with the others."

Right as Jaden and Jesse agreed to find the others, Trapper started to awaken a little. The three turned around to see him as he was about to explain something to them. He used to have a connection with the Duel Spirits like them, especially Jesse, until he became a victim of losing that connection one day. Now he ruthlessly hunts those spirits and drains them of their energy as a way to fill the void of his past until the day he met Professor Viper.

"You met Viper?" Jesse asked in surprise.

"I did," Trapper responded. "And he promised me that if I helped him out, I could get my hands on the ultimate spirit. If I wanted, the Rainbow Dragon could be all mine, so I took him up on his offer." He then closed his eyes.

"You tell us where Viper is!" Jesse exclaimed before wincing in pain from the sudden energy drain he suffered a bit earlier. Jaden and Ray held him in their arms just as he was about to collapse.

"Jesse," they both said.

"What's happening?"

The trio looked back at Trapper, who was now in some sort of dark, shadowy, purple realm in his eyes.

"What's going on?" Trapper asked as his question started to echo. He then saw six glowing white orbs of light float towards him yet he knew what they are. "Oh. It's the spirits I trapped…and they're coming to get me!"

Those spirits revealed themselves to be Gokipon, Treeborn Frog, Petit Angel, Thunder Kid, Key Mace, and Watapon and they are out for revenge. Trapper gasped out of fear as the spirits engulfed him in an aura of white light. "Looks like…I'm done trapped…in…"

The white light flashed from where his body laid and grew brighter until he vanished from the room.

"Where did he go?" Jaden asked.

"He just plumb disa—" Before Jesse could finish, he fell limp again and started to breathe heavily.

"Jesse, you okay? Let me help," Jaden stated.

"It's cool. I'll be okay," Jesse replied. "What do you say we go hunt down Viper and put an end to all this?"

Jaden and Ray both nodded in agreement. "Alright. But first, let's go find the others," Jaden said. "We gotta go and make sure nothing has happened to them."


	7. The Sinister Serpent

Ray, Jaden, and Jesse remained in the room where the duel against Trapper was held, sitting against the wall and next to the room's opened doorway. Jesse wanted to find Viper, but Jaden was concerned about his friends. With Ray's help, they all agreed to stay put so that Jesse could regain some energy and everyone can all confront Viper as a group. Within a few moments, Syrus, Hassleberry, Jim, and Alexis arrived after going on a rather worrisome search for them. Their biggest clue that led them on the right path was the scattered cards that once belonged to Mr. Stein. With everyone converged back into one group, all seven Duelists prepared their confrontation with the mastermind behind the sinister Survival Duels.

Speaking of him, Viper was keeping an eye on the tank that contained the orange liquid-like blob. He stopped watching the cameras earlier because one of them was destroyed by Axel, who was finding a way to escape the trap door and dug a hole from the floor and landed into the artificial jungle. At the same time, Viper knew that the blob needed a bit more energy in order for it to revive, which was why he anticipated Jaden's upcoming arrival not only because of that, but because it also wanted to see him suffer. Before he could meet up with him, he was interrupted by the presence of Adrian, who was seeking to claim an important card for the Gecko family.

"My apologies, Adrian," Viper said. "I don't know of this card you speak of. Now if you excuse me, I have to prepare for a duel."

"Don't think so," Adrian said. "It's just me and you now. Cancel all your appointments for the day."

 **Attention. Quarantine procedures have been initiated. Please evacuate the facility immediately. Anyone remaining will be terminated. Have a nice day.**

The seven Duelists picked up the pace and started to run a little down the hall as the doors were being sealed behind them. Back in the main office, Viper grew frustrated at what Adrian did. The latter explained how the duel against Jaden will be postponed and he will be dueling against the former. This time, it won't be an ordinary duel since the Bio-Bands aren't involved. He took off his headphones and Viper knew what they'll be doing: fighting. He unbuttoned his jacket and removed his shirt to reveal his muscular figure and Adrian did the similar thing, undoing his belt, unlatching his holster, and taking off his shirt.

With the two now shirtless, they engaged in a fistfight that was reminiscent of a popular shonen martial arts anime, albeit the usage of energy blasts. Viper grabbed Adrian's leg that was used to kick him and spun him around before throwing him to a nearby wall. Right as he was about to step on his opponent, Adrian dodged the attack, which was enough to give off the impression that he was an elite operative from the Gecko Financial Group. Adrian scowled because Viper was right about that.

Back with Jaden and his friends, they continued running down the hall and only had 30 seconds to evacuate. They made it to a large circular room, but across from them was a closing door, meaning they won't have enough time to get through. Just then, Axel smashed through the glass ceiling and landed on the bridge; he then threw his grapples to keep the door open with enough space for everyone to get through this one and the next and final door. However, Axel himself ended up trapped in the room he entered through, meaning he might have to find a way out again.

Viper and Adrian continued with their fight, unleashes blows and dodges with the operative's sole purpose of obtaining that card…or so he thought. The tank housing the blob glowed a bright orange twice: once to materialize a demonic left hand onto Viper that blocked Adrian's punch and another that pushed the opponent back onto the wall with brute strength. Viper knew that his defeated adversary's true mission was to find out about the power of the orange blob that was contained inside the tank. He then put on his shirt and jacket and then departed his office to finally face off against Jaden, leaving behind a pinned Adrian and the tank as he walked out with an evil laugh.

Back in the room, Jim detected what could be considered the most powerful electromagnetic wave he received thus far, and before anyone knew it, they all saw an elevator rising up to the top floor. Everyone knew Viper was in there based on the notorious look on his face. He buckled up what looked like equipment and began to laugh evilly again, louder than he did earlier.

"Hello Jaden Yuki," Viper said.

However, Ray stood in front of Jaden. "Don't worry, Jaden," she said, readying her Duel Disk. "I got this."

"How bold of you to make such a move," Viper said. "But I want to duel Jaden, not you."

"Jaden is in no condition to duel," Ray said. "So if you want a duel, you'll have to duel me instead!"

"But Ray…" Jaden started to say.

"Trust me," Ray only said.

The gang had already arrived on the top of the helicopter tower by running as fast as they could on top of a nearby staircase where they caught up with Viper, who was patiently waiting for this duel to occur. Ray wasn't going let him take on Jaden because she was going to be his opponent. Her companions were initially unsure of why she stepped in, but her stubbornness gave them an idea of what she was going to do in order to thwart Viper's plan.

"If I remember correctly, you never received a Bio-Band, Ms. Akaba," Viper commented.

"I know," Ray said. "I figured you wanted to use Jaden to activate his Bio-Band for whatever your plan is. But I won't let that happen. So here's my deal: duel me, or you won't get a duel."

"Very well," Viper said, activating his Duel Disk. "I accept your request."

Ray activated her Duel Disk as well while everyone else started to recall on why she was the only one without a Bio-Band. They all remembered her panic attack when she forcibly grabbed by the wrist, which was a trigger linked to her PTSD because she tried really hard to forget about the trauma of getting electrocuted, manipulated, and abused into becoming Sartorius' vision of "the perfect Duelist". If anything, what happened during the start of this year actually paid off because neither Ray nor Jaden would lose any of their energy and whatever Viper is doing will be vanquished.

With the starting 4000 life points set up, the duel began. "Ladies first," Viper said.

"Very well," Ray said. "I'll start things of by summoning Hope Dragon Bird!"

A flash of light lit up in one of the monster zones as Bird soared out from it and positioned herself onto the field in attack position. "No one shall bring harm to my mistress!" she exclaimed, even though everyone else could only hear a soft, melodic roar. Upon being summoned, one of Viper's monster zones was rendered unusable, giving Ray an extra 100 life points.

"But it seems my dragon is a bit lonely," Ray added. "So I'll use the Spell card Double Summon to bring out Lord of Dragons."

"Alright!" Jesse cheered. "Just like with Trapper!"

Ray glanced back at her hand. "I'll conclude my turn with some face down cards," she said, setting two cards on her field.

"You're going down," Viper proclaimed as he drew a card from his deck. "To start…" He analyzed the six cards in his and picked one to play on the field. "…I'll summon Venom Snake!"

Venom Snake is a Level 3 EARTH Reptile-Type monster with 1200 ATK, 600 DEF, and an effect that is considered to be poisonous among other monsters.

"Careful of his bite," Viper stated. "You see, once per round, my snake can strike one of your monsters directly."

Venom Snake ejected what looked like a blue liquefied version of itself as it lunged forward towards Hope Dragon Bird and dug through her feather-like scales with his fangs. She let out a pained scream. "Help me, mistress!" she exclaimed.

"What did you do to Hope Dragon Bird?" Ray asked, sounding deeply concerned.

"Oh you'll find out soon enough," Viper answered.

Soon enough? What does he even mean? Ray couldn't stop staring worryingly at Hope Dragon Bird and this weird liquid snake that was implanted on her. Viper's turn continued as he played two face-downs and activated a Field Spell called Venom Swamp, where a Venom Counter is placed on non-Venom monsters and they will lose 500 ATK for each player's End Phase; if the ATK reaches 0, that monster is destroyed.

There was no coincidence on how the rest of his turn would play out. Right as his turn ended, another Venom Counter jumped out from the Field Spell's lake and attached itself onto Hope Dragon Bird. Two Venom Counters meant a 1000 ATK decrease as dark purple venom started to show and spread from where she was bitten, causing her to feel weak.

"I feel…so sleepy…" Hope Dragon Bird muttered.

"Don't you dare fall asleep on me!" Ray exclaimed as she drew a card. "I counter Venom Swamp with my own Field Spell: Hope Sanctuary! And since there can only be one Field Spell out at a time…"

"Not so fast," Viper interrupted. "I chain your Field Spell card with my Counter Trap: Dark Bribe!" One of his two face-down cards flipped up to reveal the Trap he activated. "The activation of your Hope Sanctuary is now negated and destroyed, meaning you and your Hope Dragon Bird are still stuck in my Venom Swamp."

Right as the Field Spell was about to change, the Hope Sanctuary card was electrocuted and shattered into pieces, indicating it was sent to the Graveyard, much to Ray's frustrated dismay.

"But don't fret," Viper said. "Due to your Field Spell's destruction, you get to draw one card from your deck."

Ray slightly scowled as she drew a card and added it to her hand. That was quite a move Viper made. Was he really that determined to make sure her monsters will suffer the poison of his Venom monsters and his swamp? She looked back at the poisoned Hope Dragon Bird and then back at her hand, trying to figure out the best course of action; if she ends her turn, her monster will lose 500 more ATK, bringing her closer to the Graveyard, but she has to think of something.

"Then it's a good thing I drew the right card," Ray said. "I activate the Equip Spell Lovely Veil! Not only does it protect Hope Dragon Bird from all card effects, but it lets me add one of her sisters from my deck to my hand!"

A white veil materialized onto the field and soared onto Hope Dragon Bird, destroying the Venom Counters and increasing her ATK back to its original amount. At the same time, the veil glowed a bright white light and one of the cards in Ray's deck started to resonate the same light. Knowing it was one of the other three Hope Dragons, the card slid out so that she could draw it and add it to her hand. Sure enough, it was Hope Dragon Moon.

"Alright Hope Dragon Bird, get rid of that snake!" Ray declared. "Elegant Wind Gust!"

Hope Dragon Bird skyrocketed up in the air and stopped in front of Venom Snake while in the air. She immediately flapped her wings as hard as she could and blasted a breath of a beautiful, dark purple energy from her mouth, creating a powerful gale that wiped Venom Snake off the field and lowering Viper's Life Points to 3300. Everyone else was thrilled to see Ray getting herself out of this rut with barely any trouble; it was a fine example of how her stubbornness can be a virtue in the face of battle.

"But wait, I'm not done," Ray continued. "Now your field is open for a direct attack! Get him, Lord of Dragons!"

Since Lord of Dragon has a skeletal structure, his skull abruptly burst into flames, promoting him to take it off his body and chuck it towards Viper. The damaging burn to him resulted in 1200 points of damage, leaving him with 2100 Life Points, a little over half of what he originally started with.

"I can see why you are one of the two strongest Duelists in your class," Viper remarked. "You're quite skilled with your deck."

"That's the power of the Hope Dragons," Ray said. "But I'm not quite done. I activate the Continuous Trap card Songbird Assault! As long as I have Hope Dragon Bird on my field, the top card of your deck is removed from play every time I end my turn, which I'll do now!"

The image on the Trap card illuminated white as a songbird appeared out of it and on the field, who then flew to the other side and landed on top of Viper's deck. It then proceeded to peck at the top card, causing it to disintegrate into the Banished Card Zone. This left him a little frustrated; he figured Ray was a strong Duelist, but he never expected her to counter against his deck, let alone cripple it through banishment and negation. Regardless, he may have a way to get back into the game.

"I play my Snake Whistle!" Viper declared as one of his face-down cards flipped up. "When you attack and destroy a Reptile monster, guess what? This card lets me call upon another on, but I'm not done. Next, I reveal the face-down Trap, Damage = Reptile." Right as he continued speaking, his second face-down was revealed. "With this in play, I can summon any monster I choose to the field. Of course, its ATK must total the damage I took from Hope Dragon Bird and Lord of Dragons' attacks."

"What?" Ray asked.

"That's right," Viper responded. "That's two monsters you have to face. Here's one: Venom Boa!"

The Continuous Trap's description states that the special summoned monster must have ATK less than or equal to the battle damage, which was perfect for Viper since he received 1900 damage points. The Field Spell's pond of venom splashed up to reveal Venom Boa, a Level 5 EARTH Reptile-Type monster with 1600 ATK, 1200 DEF, and an effect that unleashes two Venom Counters at the cost of not attacking the turn it was activated.

"And now the second: Venom Serpent!" Viper continued.

Another portion of venom repeated exactly what it did earlier, only this time it was Venom Serpent. It was a Level 4 DARK Reptile-Type monster with 1000 ATK, 800 DEF, and can place a Venom Counter on one of its opponent's monsters.

Suddenly, a flash of light appeared briefly next to Viper. Ray's eyes widened. "Michael?" she asked aloud.

"You alright, Ray?" Jaden asked.

"Don't you see it?" Ray asked. She glared at Viper. "What did you do to Michael?!"

"The Magician and Sorcerer Duelist?" Viper asked in response. "I did nothing to that student."

"But it looks like you're holding his spirit hostage!" Ray pointed out.

She wasn't sure why that flash of light was there, but through her eyes, she could see an orange entity resembling Michael. Why was his spirit forcibly with Viper in the first place? Could that be the reason why he was too exhausted to get out of bed and join the gang? If so, then how did he manage to obtain it so easily? Everyone else was concerned about why Ray was suddenly infuriated with Viper; does he really have Michael's spirit and has kept it a secret all this time?

"But I'm telling the truth," Viper insisted.

"Then why does that spirit next to you have the same hairstyle he has?!" Ray asked, her angry eyes brimming with tears.

Same hairstyle as Michael's? What does she mean? Viper knew exactly what Michael's hair looked like: gray with upward spikes and three divided sections with green streaks in the bangs. Then, his eyes widened and it suddenly started to come together for him as to why Ray would accuse him of capturing Michael's spirit: he used to have a relative with a similarly matching hairstyle.

"You see Pierce?" Viper asked.

That calmed down Ray a bit. "Who?" she asked.

"My son," Viper explained. "He's the reason why I'm doing all of this. He died from a fatal disease years ago, but I made a deal with an alien demon so he could be revived."

Ray wasn't certain on how to respond to this revelation, but she knew she couldn't help but feel bad for Viper. Pierce must have meant everything to him and learning about his mission to bring him back to life proves how strong their familial bond as father and son is. But why specifically use Bio-Bands and Survival Duels? Weren't there any supernatural ways to try and revive him? Like possibly discovering and searching for seven magical orbs that can grant any wish? Although it was for a good purpose, there was clear evidence about the negative consequences it was having.

"But that's why I have to defeat you," Ray said.

"I beg your pardon?" Viper asked.

"You clearly have a noble reason for your actions," Ray continued. "But it's hurting my friends! So in response to you special summoning your monsters, I activate the Quick-Play Spell Hope's Wish! It'll allow me to summon one of my own monsters: Hope Dragon Moon!"

The monster zone next to Hope Dragon Bird lit up as her lunar sister integrated from below and soared onto the field, getting ready to aid her owner towards victory. With her 2400 ATK, 2000 DEF, and effects to only gain 100 Life Points for blocking a monster zone on the opponent's field, attack twice during the Battle Phase, and special summon a DARK Beast-Warrior-Type monster, this Level 7 DARK Dragon-Type monster was ready to combat anything that comes in her way.

"Be careful, sister," Hope Dragon Bird told Hope Dragon Moon. "Viper's cards can weaken you and wipe you out in an instant once you lose all of your attack points."

"So that's why Ray equipped you with Lovely Veil," Hope Dragon Moon noted. She glanced over at Ray. "But she only has two other copies of that card. One of us is going to have to sit out."

"It will have to be our sister of wind," Hope Dragon Bird decided. "Our sister of flowers is immune to getting destroyed by card effects. She'll have a better chance of winning."

"Good call, girls," Ray said. "You hear that, Viper? I've got a plan, starting with Hope Dragon Moon using her special ability to block one of your monster zones and give me a life point boost of 100!"

"No matter," Viper said. "Your second dragon is unprotected against Venom Counters."

With Ray's turn about to end, Venom Swamp splashed out a Venom Counter that lunged itself onto Hope Dragon Moon, draining 500 ATK from her and causing her to wince from the poison. Viper drew a card to signal the start of his turn and began his first Main Phase by activating Venom Boa and Serpent's effect to place a total of three more Venom Counters on Hope Dragon Moon at the cost of Boa not attacking this turn. The three counters were ejected from the monsters' mouths and lunged themselves forward and penetrated through her three other legs, leaving her barely hanging on with 400 ATK. Ray and her companions stood and watched the counters inject venom through Hope Dragon Moon's veins, wondering if this plan the Hope Dragons have will work.

After the effects were done activating, Viper proceeded to send Venom Boa and Venom Serpent to the Graveyard in order to tribute summon Vennominion the King of Poisonous Snakes. He is a Level 8 DARK Reptile-Type monster with 0 ATK and DEF; despite the lack of any strength, everyone knows a monster with no ATK means it has a useful effect. In this case, he gains 500 ATK for every Reptile-Type monster in the Graveyard. He can also be special summoned from the Graveyard after being destroyed by battle by banishing one other destroyed Reptile-Type monster, but he cannot be special summoned by another effect monster's effect. Additionally, he is immune to Venom Swamp's effects.

There are currently three Reptile-Type monsters in Viper's Graveyard, so that means Vennominion's ATK raises up to 1500, which was more than enough to destroy Hope Dragon Moon. He initiated his Battle Phase by declaring his attack on Ray's lunar dragon.

"Not so fast!" Ray exclaimed. "By attacking a Hope Dragon, you activate my hand trap: Kurihope! This little guy will protect Hope Dragon Moon from harm!"

A flash of light illuminated in front of Hope Dragon Moon and a flower bud rose up from it. The petals opened up and bloomed with arms and legs popping out, revealing the adorable, floral Kurihope, a Level 1 LIGHT Fairy-Type monster with 0 ATK and DEF. Thanks to his effect, he protected Moon by having his card getting discarded, which was represented by forming a force field to block Vennominion's attack at the expense of getting himself sent to the Graveyard. Everyone witnessing the duel was astonished at this sacrificial yet amazing retaliation, especially Jaden, but that was mainly because he and Yugi aren't the only ones who use Kuriboh variants.

"But there's more," Ray continued. "Hope Dragon Moon is also immune to getting destroyed by card effects until my turn."

Viper wasn't happy to hear that. "Very well," he said. "You survive for now."

Ray began her turn by drawing a card. "Are you sure this is the right thing to do?" she asked her dragons.

"It's alright," Hope Dragon Moon reassured. "It's the only way to win this duel."

"Very well," Ray said. "I tribute Hope Dragon Moon to bring out her sister! So say hello to Hope Dragon Flower!"

Hope Dragon Moon disintegrated away from the field and made her way to the Graveyard along with the four attached Venom Counters. In her place blossomed her floral sister, Hope Dragon Flower. Harboring 2000 ATK, 1000 DEF, and the ability to gain 100 Life Points when she blocks a monster zone, this Level 6 LIGHT Fairy-Type monster is immune to card effects and attacks, can reduce battle damage to 0 if targeted for an attack, and can special summon a LIGHT Fairy-Type monster from Ray's deck or hand. Whatever her dragons have planned out, she hoped it'll work out because it was now time to execute it.

"That's the best you can do?" Viper asked. "That dragon has fewer attack points than your previous one!"

"True, but Hope Dragon Flower has a special ability," Ray said. "She can cast a floral shield on herself to prevent your Venom Counters from reaching her!"

"What?!" Viper asked.

"That's right!" Hope Dragon Flower chimed in. "I'm Ray's strongest defense! Your monsters have no chance against me, and I'll start off by blocking a monster zone to give my mistress 100 life points!"

She blasted a beam of flower petals that covered the chosen monster zone, raising Ray's Life Points by 100. She then began to cast herself in a shield of the same petals to protect her from damage and card effects; now if a Venom Counter tries to poison her and drain her of her ATK, they'll instead be destroyed by the energy these flowers possess.

"But there's more," Ray continued. "Thanks to Hope Dragon Bird's special ability, you lose 200 life points for every monster you have on the field. Draining Winds!"

Hope Dragon Bird ascended into the air until she was within a good distance away from Viper. She flapped her wings only once, but it produce an intense gust of wind that brought his Life Points down to 1900.

"And that's enough to take you out," Ray said. "Hope Dragons Bird and Flower, end this duel once and for all!"

The two dragons skyrocketed from their zones and towards the opposite side of the field, with Hope Dragon Flower flapping her wings and opening her mouth to breathe out a energetic blast of flower petals that penetrated through Vennominion and destroying it. Before Viper had time to react, Hope Dragon Bird flew forward and used her wings to bring forth a powerful gale to help deplete his Life Points down to 0. Jaden and his friends all cheered for Ray and her dragons for their victory, knowing having her duel Viper was a smart choice.

"It's over, Viper," Ray said. "Now turn off these Bio-Bands!"

However, Viper actually seemed happy. In fact, he started…glowing? "Thank you, Ms. Akaba," he said.

"For what?" Ray asked.

"For this!" Viper exclaimed, revealing a Bio-Band pendant around his neck. "Thanks to you, I was able to use my own dueling energy!"

Ray immediately took a step back while everyone else stopped celebrating when they heard this sudden twist. Their plan was to have her duel Viper so that Jaden wouldn't fall victim to the Bio-Band again, even if it meant preventing Pierce's revival. It had worked like a charm up until this point when he unveiled his Bio-Band pendant, meaning a Duelist was going to lose their energy one way or another, even if that Duelist happened to be the orchestrator of the Survival Duels.

Suddenly, a ghostly image of a young boy with blonde hair appeared. "Pierce?" Viper asked, approaching the ghostly boy.

Pierce's expression twisted into a sinister smirk. "Not quite," he said, revealing a demonic hand.

Pierce opened up the hand and reached it towards Viper's face, with the fingers getting a firm grip on his skull. Black electricity volted all over the hand and flowed through his victim to shock him, but this was no ordinary electrocution. His entire body suddenly started to glow white, and as it kept expanding, his pained screams grew fainter until they were completely silent. Everyone else saw Viper vanishing from existence and found it hard to believe that "Pierce" most likely killed him; just when things couldn't get worse, they all saw the same glow enveloping the pillar they were standing on.

Inside the main office, bolts of electricity coated the now malfunctioning tank that once housed the demon and gusts of wind blew both inside and outside of SAL. The strength of the wind and the brightness of the light was becoming too much for the gang to handle. This peculiar oddity even managed to catch the attention of a few members from the Gecko Financial Group.

"Where's that stream of light coming from?" one of the two soldiers asked.

As the two stared on, a woman joined them to get a look at the light herself. "This can't be good," she stated.

She was definitely right about that. The light continued gaining more and more power, brightening the luminescence and blowing the wind at higher gusts. It got to a point where it began to expand even farther than it initially did and it caught the attention of everyone in the Academy, including Bonaparte, Crowler, Dorothy, Jasmine, and Mindy. Back outside, the light was overwhelming Ray, Jaden, and their friends, who were all yelling because of it. The demonic spirit simply stayed put in front of them, hovering a couple inches off the ground as it spoke.

"The power is flowing freely," the demon said. "Now Jaden will feel my full wrath. Let's go on a little trip."

The light grew brighter and brighter as it swallowed all of Duel Academy in its path until everything went white. Were they trapped in a blank slate or in a void where nothing exists? Surprisingly, the answer was neither, which was what everyone would quickly find out when they adjusted their bearings of the unfolding situation.

Meanwhile, back in the Obelisk Blue girls' dorm, Michael had finally woke up. "Morning RayRay," he sleepily muttered. "Did you sleep well?"

However, Michael realized Ray was absent. He chuckled to himself. "She's probably eating breakfast," he guessed. "I'll join her once I freshen up from last night."

He got out of Ray's bed and grabbed his clothes that were tossed on the floor to wear later. He remembered he brought his Duel Academy-issued gym clothes with him, so he got changed into them so that he would at least have something on in order to head to the bathroom to shower. As he walked down the hallways, part of him had the strangest feeling that it was unusually quiet since there we no female Obelisk Blue students roaming around. He initially assumed not everyone was awake at the moment, so he figured now would be a perfect opportunity to freshen up while he still has the chance.

A few minutes later, he was surprised to see the bathroom wasn't crowded with the female students because some of them go there to get ready for the day. It was more peculiar about how it was empty, but it didn't damage the fact he has it all to himself for today and he didn't want to waste any second of it. He undressed his gym clothes and stepped into what resembled a hot spring; he remembered Ray telling him a few years ago about the hot springs her dorm building has. Being in one for himself was refreshing and relaxing for him, making his experience in here all the worth while.

What isn't as relaxing is what happened after his bath regimen. Michael had finished getting cleaned up, gotten dressed back into his usual Obelisk Blue uniform, and was heading downstairs to the cafeteria for breakfast. The more he walked, the more he realized something was definitely off. Never in his life has he encountered a silent and empty dorm building other than the Abandoned Dorm. Why is no one around? Where did they all go? Were they already attending classes at the Academy?

However, one look at a nearly clock made Michael realized he overslept waaaaaay too much. "Oh crud!" he exclaimed. He proceeded to rush out of the dorm. "I hope Dr. Crowler doesn't-"

He immediately stopped running to see a sight he never thought he would stumble upon. There was a gigantic crater on the island, located next to the volcano and exactly where Duel Academy was. What happened while he was asleep? Where was everyone? Did something terrible occur to them? …Is Ray okay? Michael called out "RayRay" a couple times, only for the silence to respond to his pleas as he looked around to see if anyone heard him. Unfortunately, no was around to hear him at all. Fearing the worst, he tightly shut his eyes, clenched his hands into fists, and screamed out Ray's name into the starry night sky.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY!"


	8. Trapped in the Spirit World

"…hear me?"

"Ray?"

"Ray!"

Her eyes tightened as she kept hearing a voice echoing out her name. She opened them up only for her to find Jaden right in front of it her. She blinked a few times to see if it really was him and became certain that it was her Slifer Red companion. As the group became relieved that she was alright, she sat up and looked around at what their current location was, leaving her confused. They were just as puzzled as they were about where they were, but they had an understanding on how they ended up here. Whatever that orange being was with that arm, it was obviously responsible for causing that bright expanding light, with Alexis pointing out that the intensity from it along with this abrupt teleportation must have caused Ray to black out.

"But how did this happen?" Ray asked. "I defeated Viper. He should have stopped his plan afterwards!"

"Guess he plain tricked you," Jesse guessed, recalling Viper's own Bio Band-type device. "Now the whole school's been transported to this weird desert."

"The whole school…" Ray repeated. Then her eyes widened. "Where are the dorms?!"

"What's so important about the dorms?" Jaden asked.

Syrus caught on to what Ray meant. "Michael was in the Obelisk Blue girls' dorm," he said.

He was right; he and Ray did have that…sleepover on the night of Adrian's tournament. Seeing how tuckered out he was, there was a good chance he could be the only one at the island, especially since there was a lot of students being taken care of in the academy after having their energy drained from them. They know the Ra Yellow and Obelisk Blue students were resting in the gym after taking part in the tournament, including Blair from Slifer Red; additionally, Fonda has been busy up until now tending to a line of students who were reporting about experiencing fatigue after Dueling. How was Michael going to handle the sudden emptiness knowing that the dorms are all that is left of Duel Academy?

"Don't worry, mistress!" Ray heard Hope Dragon Flower say. "We have your support."

"Yeah!" Hope Dragon Wind chimed in. "And I bet Michael is working hard to help get us back."

Ray smiled softly. "Thanks guys," she said.

Suddenly, she shot her head up as she heard a screech off in the distance. She asked if anyone knew what that sound was, only for the crew to reply that they do not know what it even was. Syrus then noticed something far away from the pillar they were on top of, with Hassleberry spotting the same speck in the sky; however, it wasn't a speck at all. As it got closer, more features became visible to everyone: it was a female with light blue skin, long, magenta hair, green eyes, purple feathered wings on her arms, and dark yellow claw that took the place of the two pairs of hands and feet. Much to their shock, they both quickly identified the flying beast as Harpie Lady and she was going after them.

"Get a load of that, guys," Hassleberry had said.

"Kuri kuri!"

That sound had come from Winged Kuriboh, surprising the group-

Wait, Winged Kuriboh?

"You can see him, Hassleberry?" Jaden asked.

Winged Kuriboh floated quickly to the charging Harpie Lady, who let out a screech that terrified him to the point where he fell down to the sandy ground. Everyone ran to the edge where he was to see if he was alright, but before Jaden could him that question, the pillar started to collapse towards the ground a bit yet it managed to stop from completely falling down. Something must be blocking it to prevent any damage or injuries, but what about Harpie Lady? She needed to be dealt with immediately. Just then, Jesse had an idea; even though he and Jaden can see Duel Spirits, Winged Kuriboh became visible to Hassleberry and everyone. Does that mean…?

"Hang on, I got an idea," Jesse said, activating his Duel Disk. "If that Harpie is real, maybe we can summon monsters too. I summon my Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus!"

His card glowed white as a Duel Monster coated by the same colored aura materialized into reality, revealing itself to be Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus. Jesse's idea had executed the way he just planned in his head.

"It worked!" Jesse exclaimed. "Now go, Sapphire Tornado!"

Flying up into the air, Sapphire Pegasus unleashed a loud neigh that created a small, windy vortex heading towards Harpie Lady. Since he has 1800 ATK while she only has 1300 ATK, the 500-point difference was enough to deal damage to her. The strong gusts of wind was phasing her as she suddenly took a nosedive to the ground near the spot where Winged Kuriboh landed. Jesse, on the other hand, was astonished to see how it played out; not only was him summoning a monster successful, he could also declare attacks just like whenever he plays Duel Monsters.

Suddenly, Jesse winched in pain as he clutched his wrist. "Jesse!" Jaden exclaimed. "What's wrong?!"

"It's these darn Bio Bands," Jesse explained. "Guess they're still draining energy."

"Then it's a good thing we have a secret weapon," Jim said.

Ray realized who Jim was talking about. "Me," she said, showing the others her bare wrist.

"Of course!" Syrus realized. "Ray, you're the only one who never received a Bio Band!"

"Because I was worried about getting electrocuted," Ray explained. "Thankfully Chancellor Shepard excluded me from taking part in Survival Duels due to me being one of the two best students in my grade." The other best Obelisk Blue student in her grade was obviously Michael, which made her wonder how he was fairing back at the island. No doubt he must be worried sick about her after regaining his energy and waking up from his long slumber.

"Wait, so if you don't have a Bio Band…" Jaden started to say.

"That means I don't have to worry about losing energy," Ray explained.

"You sure you can duel for all of us?" Jaden asked.

"I know I can," Ray insisted. "You guys should save your strength for any emergencies. Who knows what would happen if you run out of energy."

She has got a point; with Ray as the best female student in her grade, it would be best for them to wait it out as she handles the threats until push comes to shove and they have no choice but to duel with their Bio Bands on. They were fortunate enough to get some rest for the time being, but if they hadn't, they would have ended up in a state worse than Michael's; they could have been in a coma or worse.

Once the plan had been settled, Winged Kuriboh flew back up and headed towards Jaden. While everyone was relieved that he was okay, he sounded like he has something important to tell them. One of his short arms was pointing in the direction of the spot he landed and then floated to the other side of the platform, believing he might have saw someone there that somehow managed to prevent the pillar from completely collapsing.

"Brodie?!" Hassleberry realized.

"You made it!" Jesse exclaimed.

"'Course I made it," Axel said. "Did you think I was a goner?"

"Kind of…" Ray admitted.

Regardless, they were all glad that Axel was okay, so seeing how the pillar sank lower to the ground not too long ago, it made things easier for them to get off the platform and head towards him. It was honestly a miracle that he was still around thanks to his battle-hardened and mercenary skills, but he was probably banged up after the facility's evacuation alarm went off. His minor injuries nedded to be treated before he could try and assist in this dilemma they were in, but what about Ray? She passed out when they were all transported to this mysterious dimension, so was she feeling a bit exhausted or uneasy? Ray placed her hand on her forehead and stated that she was feeling rather uneasy from the sudden teleportation, and seeing that their efforts to stop Viper lasted into the night, she could use some rest herself.

Jesse nodded his head in response to her statement; it was better to be safe than sorry. Wherever Harpie Lady came from, he had a sinking suspicion that there could be more Duel Monsters lurking around. "It's way too dangerous out here," he replied. "Let's go inside. Seems like the only place that hasn't changed."

The group gathered together, with Winged Kuriboh landing on Jaden's left shoulder, and they all made their way to the front entrance of Duel Academy. A few minutes later, they noticed Crowler and Bonaparte trying to call campus maintenance but failing miserably due to the lack of reception this dimension has. But one look at the Hope Dragon user led to a rather unexpected reveal.

"Ray!" Crowler exclaimed, completely overjoyed. "Thank goodness you're alright! I thought I would have to cancel your graduation exam!"

Ray looked surprised upon hearing that. "Wait, I made valedictorian?" she asked.

"Not just you," Crowler explained. "Michael as well. So because both of your dueling levels are even, I thought it would be fair for you to duel him."

"That's great and all," Jaden said. "But Ray needs to see Nurse Fontaine. Her duel with Viper kinda wiped her out."

Crowler was about to ask why she was even dueling Viper in the first place until she explained how she and her friends needed to stop him from draining any more energy from the students because he was planning to revive his dead son. Unfortunately, despite her victory, his plan still succeeded because of his Bio Band pendant around his neck, but instead of Pierce getting reborn, some kind of demon was unleashed and transported them away from the island. Crowler and Bonaparte couldn't believe that Viper would use the risk of getting expelled as a mask to cover up the true intentions of the Survival Duels. Ray agreed with them, but now she has another thing to worry about: her and Michael's graduation duel against each other. She usually does tabletop duels against him as practice and to experiment different strategies, so hearing that she needs to prepare for her upcoming graduation match did not help her in the slightest.

"But there's another problem," Ray continued. "The Bio Bands are still draining dueling energy, so I have to keep dueling for everyone else-"

"Oh no, don't stress over that," Crowler insisted, placing a caring hand on Ray's shoulder. "You're one of the best students I have ever taught. I can't let you get exhausted. You need to rest."

"What about my friends?" Ray asked. "I don't want them to get hurt."

"I understand how stubborn you can get, but let us take care of things for now," Crowler said. "Save your energy for later."

Ray let out a sigh. "Alright," she ultimately agreed. "But if another monster shows up, let me know."

It was subtle, but after watching Crowler getting along with Ray, Jaden's mouth formed a small pout on his face. Although he may be the best Duelist in Duel Academy when Zane graduated, he was a tad jealous at Ray because she happened to be one of Crowler's favorite students because of her skills. He kind of wished he was also his favorite student. "Teacher's pet…" he muttered under his breath.

Momentarily, everyone made it inside Duel Academy and paced down the halls until they made it to Fonda's office. She opened the door and saw a battered Axel and a tuckered out Ray; what exactly happened out there that left them this way?

"Oh, my," she exclaimed. "Set them down on the table!"

As Fonda started examining Ray, Jaden explained what happened. "Then Professor Stein disappeared," he said. "And then this guy, Trapper, disappeared. Then Viper disappeared!"

"That's all very exciting," Fonda remarked. She looked over at the others after finishing with Ray's examination. "You can set him over there."

Jim and Jesse helped Axel on the only available bed in the office. With all the beds occupied and the dorms left behind on the island, a comfortable space needed to be made in order for Ray to get some sleep. "Now, who can we move to make room for you, Ray?"

"She can have this bed," Chazz volunteered as he sat up. "I'm sick of this place."

"Thanks Chazz," Fonda said. "That's so kind of you."

"Whatev," Chazz muttered.

Right as he was getting up, he put the blanket near the bottom of the bed; at the same time, he heard three familiar sounds coming from behind him. He turned around to see his Duel Spirits known as the Ojama Trio, much to his, Fonda, and Ray's shock. It was her first time seeing all three of them together, let alone seeing them in this dimension.

"Pretty comfy, boss," Ojama Yellow commented.

"You three?!" Chazz yelled. "Get out of my bed!"

"Take it easy, boss. You're not well," Ojama Yellow reminded.

"That's right," Ojama Green agreed. "You don't want a relapse."

"If you don't get your rest, you're gonna get sicker," Ojama Black added.

Ray smiled. "Looks like I'm not the only one with protective Duel Spirits," she remarked.

"How would you know?" Chazz asked.

Because I have my four Hope Dragons," Ray explained. "Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon… They all care about me, even calling me their mistress. So in a way, I guess we're sort of alike."

Chazz looked back at the Ojama trio, processing what Ray stated. Their own group of monsters each look up to their respective owners and truly care about them. Heck, even Ojama King has the ability to block monster zones, just like the Hope Dragons. Chazz admittedly never thought of it thay way, and seeing that this parallel was coming from the same person that has contributed to making a huge impact on Duel Academy in terms of changing the dress code and her talent at Duel Monsters, he figured she was right about it.

"I guess you have a point," Chazz said, not wanting to fully admit it out loud. "But how are you guys real? What's goin' on?"

"We don't know, but they sure ain't spirits anymore," Hassleberry admitted.

"What?" Chazz asked.

"That's right, Chazz," Alexis confirmed. "It seems that we're in another world where Duel Monsters come to life."

He simply stood next to the bed with a flabbergasted expression; he had been out for about a day and he wakes up to find himself in a completely different world. That would be out of the ordinary, but then again, he did fought against the Shadow Riders and became a top student for the Society of Light, so this shouldn't be too surprising…yet it still is. How were they going to be dealing with a conflict of this magnitude?

For starters, the group needed to come up with a plan to make sure that they and the other students and staff had the necessities to ensure their survival. Furthermore, they had to decide on who would be the best leader for their mission. It took them only a couple of minutes to do some process of elimination and they managed to determine the best two candidates for the role: Jaden and Ray. "Why those two?" you may ask. Well, there was something about them that compliment each other in a yin-yang manner: Jaden's passion for dueling has given him a lot of duel smarts, and while Ray does possess some strong dueling skills, she is also intelligent in the academic department. With their intelligence in two different fields, they balance each other out quite well. That leaves with only one question: which one of the two was more suited to be the leader?

"I think Jaden should lead," Ray ultimately decided.

"Huh?" Jaden asked. "Why me?"

"Because you're more familiar with Duel Spirits than me," Ray explained. "I only discovered my ability to talk to my Hope Dragons recently."

"Well okay," Jaden said. "But I'm not sure what we should do."

"We could search the school for more students," Alexis suggested. "Then we gather everyone together and start collecting information."

"Sounds like we got ourselves a plan," Hassleberry agreed.

"Alright. What do you say we use the gym as headquarters?" Jesse asked.

"Excuse me, but we're the adults, so we'll call the shots," Crowler retorted, referring to himself and Bonaparte. "Now, let's search the school for students and gather them in the gymnasium."

"Crowler, how long did it take for you to think of that great idea?" Bonaparte questioned.

"Okay, everyone, now let's split up," Jesse instructed. "But remember: wherever we are, we're not home, so keep your eyes and ears open and watch out for anything out of the ordinary. 'Cause who knows what's around the next corner."

With their plan formulated, most of the crew departed Fonda's office and searched all over Duel Academy to find any students that were also transported here. As for Ray and Axel, they had to stay behind for a little while so that she could sleep while his injuries were being treated. Hopefully, their strength will be recovered not long after the students have been gathered into the gym; they wanted to contribute in any way they could.

Meanwhile, a figure was seen walking through the dark, empty library, passing by some bookshelves and arriving at an oval table with a blue sofa curved in front of it. "We should be safe from anybody interfering with us in here," he said as he put a football-shaped container housing the orange liquid and a demonic arm. "Now I held up my part of the agreement, so it's time for you to give me what you promised."

He somehow knew this arm was connected to the eye he saw back at Viper's office. The same eye that read his mind and perfectly recalled his past of how he was just a boy who wanted to be seen but was never seen by anyone, including his biological parents who abandoned him. That all changed when the Gecko family adopted him after suffering a miscarriage because they were looking for an heir in the future; however, when their child Shido was finally conceived and born into the world, the former grew jealous yet he still worked diligently for his adopted brother's sake to the point where his jealousy was completely forgotten…until now.

Despite escaping and reaching the machine that controls the Bio-Bands, he ultimately gave in to the darkness of his heart and not shut it down so that the arm's promise could be fulfilled.

"I went and fished your hand out of that giant lava lamp and brought it here safely," Adrian reminded. "And you promised you would share your power with me if I left Viper's reactor functional."

The fingers on the arm twitched as it simply responded, "Oh, you'll get what you deserve, Adrian…"

Back with Jaden and most of the group, some time had past since they started their hunt for any students that were also caught in the transportation. They were all successful in gathering them in the gymnasium where they joined with students that participated in Adrian's tournament, who had recovered enough of their energy. Trying to keep them calm, however, was a completely different task; although they were right about classes getting cancelled, but they were still in Duel Academy, so they better have to find some way to survive until they can return to the island.

"Everyone, please remain calm and stay seated," Crowler instructed.

"Remain calm?!" a Ra Yellow student angrily asked. "Duel Academy is a giant sandcastle!"

"School's out as far as I'm concerned," another Ra Yellow student said.

"Totally!" the first Ra Yellow student agreed.

In Fonda's office, Ray has been fast asleep from the moment she laid down on the bed and closed her eyes. Even though it wasn't her usual bed in her dorm room, anything would work out at this point because she needed her rest. She was laying on her right side, her body facing in the direction of a desk where her Duel Disk and barrettes were placed. All of a sudden, her deck began to glow, and even though it wasn't enough to wake her up, it did catch the attention of everyone in the gym because they saw four bright flashes of light appearing in front of them. The lights then bursted out that shortly blinded them; once they regained their vision, everyone was stunned to see four dragons floating above the staircase.

The first dragon resembled Odd-Eyes Dragon but had a pink, light purple, light blue, and bright yellow palette and was covered in flowers. The second had a striking image of Starving Venom Fusion Dragon with a cyan, indigo, and magenta color scheme with gold accents and had her horns curved like crescent moons. It was hard to distinguish what body types the last two dragons had, but the third had dark green, dark blue, and icy blue scales and was coated in snowflake crystals while the fourth was reminiscent of a pretty bird with light yellow, light pink, and sky blue feathers. Everyone in the room, especially Jaden and his friends, knew exactly who these four dragons were.

"No way!" Jaden exclaimed. "It's Ray's Hope Dragons!"

"Everyone, remain calm!" Hope Dragon Bird instructed. "Fighting will only make things worse."

The students were surprised to see the four dragons. "What's going on?!" one of the more vocal Ra Yellow students asked. "Are these Duel Monsters?!"

"We're Ray Akaba's Hope Dragons," Hope Dragon Flower explained. "She's currently resting at the moment, so we're speaking on her behalf."

"But if our mistress was awake, she wouldn't want anyone getting upset," Hope Dragon Bird said. "She would say we need to work together to figure out what's going on."

"As you can see, us Duel Monsters are real in this world," Hope Dragon Moon said. "But not just the ones in everyone's decks. There are rogue Duel Monsters in this world. If anyone sees those rogue Duel Monsters approaching the school, please contact us immediately and we'll handle the threat."

"So what do you say?" Hope Dragon Wind asked. "Are you all with us?"

The students murmured and discussed among one another to deduce on what to do. They have heard and even got glimpses of the Hope Dragon in action, but having them be physically visible to the human eye and possess the ability to speak perfect English? That was a whole new level of absurd yet it wasn't as absurd as learning they were sent to a different dimension where Duel Monsters come to life and can use the applied rules of the card game to engage in battle. Was their skills strong enough to take down the monsters? Regardless, the Hope Dragons' owner's friends was going to handle the hard and important work, so right now, making through the next some odd days, weeks, or even months alive was their main priorities until they can get help back on Earth.


	9. Stranded and Separated

Suddenly, a familiar face ran in. "Adrien?" Jesse asked. "What are you doin' here?"

"I'll explain later," Adrien replied. "Someone's coming in this direction!"

"What?" Jesse responded out of surprise.

Outside the Academy, Jesse and Adrian, along with Jaden, Alexis, Chazz, Syrus, Hassleberry, Jim, Crowler, and Bonaparte were all standing near the tan upper edge of the entrance to get a better view. They all reacted on who the person could be, but the students knew they have to help them whoever they are.

"Who is that?" Bonaparte asked as Jim, Adrian, Jesse, and Jaden all ran towards to the person's location.

"Maybe it's maintenance," Crowler answered.

Off in the distance, their appearance became a bit more noticeable as they paced closer to Duel Academy. Sure enough, they were actually a "he" because of his teenage and masculine figure, but he looked like he had seen better days. His gray hair has gotten longer and reached past his shoulders and even sported spiky bangs messily sectioned off enough for his eyes to see. His face developed a five o'clock shadow and was scratched up on his cheeks, nose, and chin. He had a long, tattered, sandy-colored cloak over his shoulders, which was as long as his attire, consisting of a long-sleeved, green turtleneck shirt with torn cuffs of his sleeves, grayish-brown pants with rips and tears on each leg, desaturated yellow shoes, and goggles with orange lenses around his neck. With a twisted wooden cane in his hand for support, he stopped walking and gasped to see a sight he never thought he would see again.

"Duel Academy," he muttered before waving his hands in the air to signal attention. "Anyone? Can you see me? I'm over here! I made it back!" Before he could continue, his eyes caught something flying against the direction he was heading. "Uh, oh. No! What are you? Where did you come from?"

Immediately after finishing his question, a Harpie Lady charged down and soared back up, knocking the teen off his feet as he yelled. She then turned around and aimed right back at her pray, who was worried that he was going to meet his unfortunate fate until…

"Get down!" Adrian yelled out as he pushed the teen to the ground to avoid getting hit. However, Harpie Lady's claws on her feet penetrated Adrian's clothes and dug into a few layers of his skin, leaving behind six scratches that could start bleeding at any second. He let out a pained shout as both teenage boys rolled on the sandy dunes before coming to a stop.

"That was quite the acrobatic maneuver," Jim stated after he and Jesse met up with the two. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Adrian responded. "Just a minor flesh wound."

Not satisfied with what she just did, Harpie Lady chuckled as she swerved back around to where the four were all grouped, believing that four preys would be better than just one.

"She's comin' back for seconds!" Jesse exclaimed. Once the remaining student caught up, he ran up in front of them, activated his Duel Disk, placed his deck into a compartment, and drew the top card. "I summon Sapphire Pegasus!" Rays of light shimmered from the image as a sapphire gem materialized into the dimension from a sparkling blue glow, which then bursted into tiny shards to reveal Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus. With his Main Phase complete, Jesse declared, "Take her down."

"Okey doke," Sapphire Pegasus acknowledged with a nod. He flew up to where Harpie Lady was and began his attack. "Try sticking your claws into this, you bird brain!" he shouted as he moved his head to use his sapphire blue horn as a sword to get her away. She flew farther away from him and was now higher above the ground, but her stone-cold gaze from her green irises was still locked onto the sand and a chuckle was heard from her devious smirk. She raised her left arm and moving kaleidoscopic images of her head faded in from behind her.

At that moment, Ray had rushed over as well. "Jesse, I told you I'll handle the minor threats!" she repeated as she activated her Duel Disk. "I'll handle the Harpie Lady my-"

Suddenly, a flash of golden light appeared on Harpie Lady, causing two more Harpie Ladies to materialize next to her. Ray gulped as she started looking through her deck.

"Still think you can take them down?" Jesse asked.

"O-Of course I can!" Ray stubbornly insisted. "You need to rest for bigger threats!"

"I hate to interrupt, but what's all this about?" Bastion questioned.

At that moment, Ray had an idea. "Bastion, do you still have your decks?" she asked.

"Of course," Bastion answered. "How else could I have survived being in this realm for so long?"

"Then get one of them out and give me some backup," Ray replied. "I hope you have a deck that can counter these Harpies."

"Very well," Bastion agreed. "I suppose now might be a good time to test out my new prototype Flamvell cards."

Prototype? Was that what he has been perfecting on ever since he started working with Dr. Eisenstein? Ray wondered what this Flamvell archetype is and Bastion explained it is going to mark the next chapter of Duel Monsters history; because it is not finalized, he added that there will be great changes to it in the near future after demonstrating it and tackling this major predicament they are all currently in.

Jaden noted on how Bastion needs to put the Flamvells into use because Harpie Lady is not done with her assault. Jesse agreed and for a good reason; although he has been listening to what the prototype is, he has also been getting a better understanding of what this dimension is. After watching Harpie Lady bring out two more of her, he realized not only can Duel Monsters and Spirits can come to life, but Spells and maybe even Traps can be utilized as well. It would explain why they're now facing off against the Harpie Lady Sisters because she had just used Elegant Egotist to special summon them. What's worse is the appearance of a golden yellow beam of light that rained down on them and equipping them with yellow plates of armor on their bodies. Once the light beam vanished, Harpie Lady and her two sisters all hovered above the group of Duelists as their ATK raised from 1950 to 2450. Jesse instantly recognized it as Cyber Shield and concluded that all the rules of the Duel Monsters card game applies to this dimension, and with their opponents using it to their advantage, they're now stronger than Sapphire Pegasus.

The three Harpies all dashed to Sapphire Pegasus' location and used their claws to slash and scratch him in all directions. Jesse yelled out his monster's name out of concerned as he was forced to watch him easily getting overwhelmed. Rising back up in the air, the Harpie Lady Sisters all chuckled and finished their attack on their prey, using a total of three slashes to send him ricocheting to the ground. Bastion witnessed everything unfolding before his eyes and complied with Jaden about how he has to act fast if he was going to use his new cards to save his friends. He and Adrian both got up from the ground, and while the latter was receiving assistance from Jim, he asked Jesse if he could borrow his Duel Disk. Naturally, he obliged, taking it off his arm and handing it over while keeping it activated; there was no way they were going to end this battle right now because they need to turn it around.

"Ray, I need you to summon Hope Dragon Bird," Bastion said.

"Why her?" Ray asked.

"Because in order for my strategy to work, I need to borrow her," Bastion explained.

"Um… Okay," Ray agreed, not sure what Bastion was planning. "I summon Hope Dragon Bird!"

Hope Dragon Bird appeared on the field in a whirlwind of feathers. But when she saw what her opponents were, she looked surprised. "My goodness…" she said. "You expect me to take care of these monsters by myself?!"

"Calm down, Hope Dragon Bird," Ray said. "Bastion said he has a plan."

"Indeed, I do," Bastion confirmed. "I summon Neo Flamvell Hedgehog!"

A swirl of fire jetted out of a gleam of light and its flaming streaks spun around into a spiral until it condensed itself into a fiery ball, which then popped open to reveal Neo Flamvell Hedgehog, a Level 3 FIRE Pyro-Type monster with 800 ATK and 200 DEF. If it gets destroyed by battle, a card in the opponent's Graveyard is removed from play, but if it's destroyed by a card effect, a FIRE monster with 200 or less DEF in its owner's Graveyard, except this card, is added to their hand. However, Bastion has no intentions of using it in battle as he was about to show them what he has been designing on right now.

"Okay Neo Flamvell Hedgehog, tune with Hope Dragon Bird!" Bastion commanded.

"Wait, tune…?" Ray asked. "Don't you mean fuse?"

"Not quite," Bastion explained. "I thought of a different type of special summoning, one that doesn't require Polymerization. Don't believe me? See for yourself."

Ray looked back at the two monsters, who were both in the sky and undergoing something new. Neo Flamvell Hedgehog changed into three light blue illuminating stars, which all shrank and regrew as three green rings that all aligned themselves and descended to Hope Dragon Bird. The rings proceeded to scan her, converting her into a glowing orange-yellow outline of herself and transforming into four more light blue stars. In almost an instant, a narrow green line of light passed through the rings and struck all four stars before rapidly expanding in size.

"This is the future of dueling!" Bastion announced. "Introducing a new type of card: Synchro monsters! Come on out and show everyone your power, Ancient Flamvell Deity!"

A silhouette of a monster emerged from the bright green light and jumped towards the ground, planting its left fist into the dunes and knelling on his right knee. It got up from the ground and crossed its arms; it appeared all shadowed, but that was due to the glare from the three suns this dimension has. The glare shifted angle to unveil a gargantuan being with brownish-bronze armor and golden linings all over its body and flames on top of its head and on its shoulders, elbows, fists, lower torso, knees, and feet. That monster was Ancient Flamvell Deity, a Level 7 FIRE Pyro-Type Synchro monster with 2500 ATK and 200 DEF. It requires a FIRE Tuner and one or more non-Tuner Pyro-Type monsters, but this summoning condition will not apply to any more Synchro monsters in the future. When successfully Synchro Summoned, it can remove from play cards that are in the opponent's Graveyard equal to the number of cards in the player's hand and gain 200 ATK for each card that has been removed from play.

Everyone was absolutely flabbergasted. "Wh-Wh-Wh-" Jaden stammered, his jaw dropped in surprise.

"What the heck is that thing?!" Jesse asked.

"A Synchro monster," Bastion repeated. "I created these cards as a side project. So far I was able to complete a few Flamvell Synchros, but the rest are currently in their beta phases. The developing process should be completed within a few weeks."

"You actually developed a new type of card?" Adrian asked. "That's incredible!"

Jaden, however, was still at a loss for words. "N-N-New…cards…"

"So why that monster?" Ray asked.

"Because Ancient Flamvell Deity has higher attack than the Harpie Lady Sisters," Bastion answered. "Now to demonstrate the power of Synchros! Attack with Volcanic Fire Eruption!"

The gold linings on Ancient Flamvell Deity's body signaled the commence of its attack as they luminated in a bright golden marigold hue and the flames increased in intensity. It rotated its body and stared directly at the Harpie Lady Sisters; the combination of the heightened glow and patches of fire led to the bronze armor to give off the impression that it was heating up. With a swift movement of its arms, it lept off the sand and aimed its fists at its opponents, where molten lava erupted from its body, rained down on each Harpie Lady, and and severely burning them to the point where they all exploded as a result of them being weaker than Ancient Flamvell Deity by only 50 ATK.

"So Ray, care to explain why you're out here when you should be in the nurse's office?" Jim asked.

"I guess I recover faster than I thought," Ray admitted with a shrug.

"That doesn't sound too good," Alexis said, voicing concern. "We need to take you back."

"Don't be ridiculous!" Ray insisted. "I'll be fi-"

Before she could finish her sentence, a sudden jolt of fatigue struck her head. She was having trouble keeping her eyes open, and as fast as it occurred, it began spreading to her entire body, making her limbs—especially her legs—feel weak and decreasing her balance stability. She tried to walk a little in order to head to a spot to rest until the fatigue subsides, but any movement as small as only a few steps only made her lowered balance worse. Right as she was falling into the sand, Chazz and Alexis caught her body and held onto her for support. It was obvious she woke up not because she rested up at a faster rate, but maybe because of something else that had recently took place back inside.

"Ray, you can't keep going like this," Alexis advised. "You're going to end up exhausted from overwork."

"But…I have to keep going…" Ray insisted, still being stubborn. "Bastion and I are the only ones without Bio Bands…"

"Bio Bands?" Bastion repeated. "What on earth is going on?"

"We'll explain everything back in the school," Adrian answered.  
Several minutes later, the students returned to Fonda's office to report another injury, the identity of the person who was approaching Duel Academy, and a sleep-deprived Ray. Once everyone got situated, Bastion was given the information from his friends on how the school year has been going for them in regards to the Bio Bands and the dimension they are stuck in as of now. Although he was glad to see they are alright, he now has a better understanding of why he and Ray should handle the minor threats for the time being.

"I see…" Bastion remarked. "Very well. I'll help Ray out. I still have my six decks, so I can switch between them depending on the threat."

"So what brings you out here, Bastion?" Jaden asked.

"It's because I started working alongside Professor Eisenstein," Bastion explained. "While I was able to use his technology to create Synchro monsters, it was only a side project to the bigger picture: the idea that's based on the presumption that there exists 12 different dimensions. And one of them has a world where Duel Spirits live. That's where we are now."

"That explains a lot…" Chazz muttered as he glanced at his Ojamas.

"As we explored ways to this dimension, something went terribly wrong," Bastion continued. "It appeared that we had pierced an interdimensional vortex, thus triggering an incredible force of cosmic energy. The entire lab was consumed by a powerful light. When I regained consciousness, I found myself in a sandy no-man's land. And you, Jaden? How did you and the others arrive in this desolate world?"

Ray looked embarrassed. "Ray?" Bastion asked. "Why do you look so flushed all of a sudden?"

"It's kind of…my fault…" Ray admitted. "I defeated this crazy snake person in a duel and there was this huge flash of light afterwards."

"Come on, Ray," Jaden reassured. "It's not your fault. None of us knew he had a Bio Band."

"So there was a flash of light there as well?" Bastion questioned. "Interesting… So it seems we're all stranded here in this dimension."

"For the time being," Jaden added.

"Luckily my new Synchro Flamvells have provided protection against enemy Duel Spirits," Bastion continued, taking out his deck. "But I fear there is a greater threat coming."

"My Hope Dragons sense it too," Ray spoke up. "That's why I wanted to deal with minor threats. If those Bio Bands are still draining energy, it's best to duel wisely."

"So Ray, where's Michael?" Bastion asked. "I haven't seen him at all."

Meanwhile, back on Earth, Michael has been roaming around the island for quite a while, specifically in the vicinity of where the Academy used to be. He tried calling Ray—at least maybe a few times—see if she was okay and all of them had a common reply: there wasn't any reply. Fearing the worst, he had been making desperate attempts to contact any of the students he has known the past few years to see if they could respond to him, but so far, he hasn't gotten a single response because there was a high chance something was preventing the calls from being received on the other end. Every attempt he has made have been feeble until his eyes shifted away from the ground and up into the sky when he spotted something far away in the distance. It was getting nearer to the island, the sound of the propellers was growing louder, and if his guesses were correct, it was planning on landing on the helicopter bay where the dock is. Whoever is in the helicopter, he needed to inform them on what just took place while they were gone, so he proceed to run through the dense trees, taking a path that is closest to the Slifer Red dorm because it is adjacent to the bridge that leads to the dock.

As the helicopter approached the island, the massive crater came into the pilot's viewpoint, who was left dumbfounded by the sight. "Chancellor Sheppard, you might want to see this," he said while preparing to land the helicopter.

Less than a couple minutes later, Sheppard had gotten out of the helicopter, analyzing the crater in front of him. "I know the school was there when I left," he recalled. "Oh, boy. Parents won't like this."

At that moment, Michael rushed over to Sheppard. "Chancellor, what's going on?!" the Magician user asked.

"I was going to ask you the same thing," Sheppard admitted. "What happened to Duel Academy?"

"How should I know?!" Michael asked in response. "I ended up oversleeping for nearly the whole day and when I woke up, everyone was gone!"

"What?" Sheppard asked. "Where were you?"

"I was-" Michael started to say. But then he remembered what happened to him last night and his eyes widened. "In my dorm room."

"So you were oversleeping in your dorm room?" Sheppard asked. "That means everyone else was still at the school."

"Including Ray," Michael added. "And I tried contacting the others, but they couldn't respond."

"That's good to know," Sheppard remarked. "Hopefully we can try to figure out what happened."

"Don't move."

An unfamiliar female voice cut their conversation short before they could deduce the cause and experiment with some kind of resolution. Sheppard and Michael faced at the landed helicopter, and without any time to react, a pale-skinned, gray-eyed woman dressed in a dark green marine attire charged out from below the vehicle. She initiated her attack by grabbing Sheppard's yellow shirt collar and effortlessly flipping him onto the ground despite his size.

"Dear me!" he yelled as he was risen off the bay and landed back first. "I just had this pressed."

"Quiet!" the woman threatened. "You're gonna help me find a student that was at this school!" She noticed Michael. "Who are you?"

"I'm Michael Lindonson," the Magician user answered, introducing himself. "Obelisk Blue, Senior Year."

The woman released her grip on Sheppard. "Lindonson, huh?" she repeated. "You must be one of the two famed Obelisk students everyone talks about. Where's the other one?"

"I'm not sure," Michael replied. "But-"

A strong gust of wind blasted the trio out of nowhere and it was quickly followed by the sounds of propellers. "What in the—?!" the woman called out.

Up in the sky, another helicopter had appeared during their dispute, hovering over the bay. Two ropes were thrown out of the doors and two men dressed in black suits and shades—one with a black buzzcut and one with spiky brunette hair—held onto them as they descended near Sheppard, Michael, and the woman were. They were ready to engage in counterattacks because of how she was willing to take Sheppard as hostage just to find who this student is; seeing them as a threat, she ran towards them and threw a couple punches, which proved ineffective since they easily dodged them and relocated her arms behind her back.

With her now restrained, Sheppard got up to see where they came from. "Who are you?" he asked.

Michael pointed up to the airborne helicopter and told him to look at who was in it. There stood a fair-skinned man with straight, silver hair that covered his left eye while leaving his right brown eye exposed. He also wore a red suit underneath a long-sleeved, white, frilled shirt with a thin, black bowtie around the collar, and white shoes. They both instantaneously recognized him the moment they laid eyes on him.

"Pegasus?" Sheppard surprisingly questioned before smiling as he continued. "To what do I owe the pleasure? I'm so honored."

Michael's jaw was left ajar, not believing what he was seeing. He recalled him and Ray seeing glimpses of Jaden helping him and Chumley retrieving the prototype copy of the Winged Dragon of Ra from a renegade Industrial Illusions card designer and heard rumors last year of how he dueled Crowler and Bonaparte later on. One year later and he is now meeting the man who created it all at a time of need. The president of Industrial Illusions and the creator of Duel Monsters, Maximillion Pegasus himself.

"I received a rather urgent message from KaibaCorp," Pegasus explained. "They said something about the academy, or lack there of."

"Do they know the whereabouts of the school?" Sheppard asked.

"Currently there isn't much information to share," Pegasus reported. "But we do know that many of the students are missing, including Jaden Yuki and his gangle of friends. Now then, we need to get to the bottom of this, and I think I know where to start digging."

But before he could have the pilot land the helicopter in order to commence investigation, he turned his head away from the crater and to where Michael was standing, who was still rendered speechless at being in the presence of one of the biggest icons in Duel Monster history. Pegasus wasn't entirely sure if he has seen this particular student before yet there was something about him that reminded him of something he heard about last year.

"Have we met?" Pegasus asked.

Michael took a deep breath. "Sort of," he answered. "I'm Michael Lindonson. Obelisk Blue, Senior Year."

"Michael Lindonson…" Pegasus repeated. "So you're the one Seto Kaiba met. Didn't he give you a new Fusion dragon?"

"He did," Michael confirmed. He took out Starving Venom from his deck. "He gave me this card to help me defeat the Society of Light."

So it was true. He had a feeling this teen was the same Michael who obtained Starving Venom, but for the purpose of defeating the Society of Light? He must be a really powerful Duelist, especially since he and Ray are the two best students in Obelisk Blue and two of the best in the entire Academy. Now that he thought about it, he was uncertain if Ray was still around; Michael explained she hasn't been around ever since he got up, and if what Pegasus said earlier was true, then she is most likely with Jaden, his friends, and the many other students who have vanished. Much to his embarrassment, a part of him felt like he was not going to live this down for a while.

"Don't worry, Michael," Pegasus said. "I'll help you get your friends back."

"Thanks…sir," Michael replied as he bowed slightly.


End file.
